Warframe: Splinters
by Kalenath Shok-Tan
Summary: Pieces. Shards. Fragments. When we go looking for things, we have to be careful. Sometimes danger lurks in the oddest of places. Then again, when SOME people look for things? Danger runs and hides if it has any sense at all. This is a fanfiction. I own no rights to Warframe or anything Star Wars related. There will be spoilers from lots of old things and more than a few surprises.
1. Chapter 1

**Looking**

Sulon, a moon of Sullust

"Have I said recently that this is a bad idea?" The Duros was clearly unhappy as he followed his companion into the cantina.

"Only about six times in the last ten minutes." His companion said mildly as she looked around the room. "Hush." The brown haired female human was tense, but her hand was not on her holstered blaster. That said? It was not far from it.

"By your will, oh mighty mistress of disaster." The Duros' voice was not even close to under his breath. His rifle was slung, but an observant person would see that the hand he had stuck into his belt was millimeters from a row of grenades. A truly observant person might see that his rifle was charged even while _slung_.

"We get a drink, we ask the guy what we were told to and then we leave." The human replied as she started towards the bar. "Simple."

"You share your mom's definition of 'simple', Zay." Was the Duros sad or scared? Hard to say. "That is_ not_ a good thing."

"So you have said." The girl replied. Grief peeked out of her eyes for a moment before being banished. "We beat them here. We need to do this."

"This is not going to end well." The Duros complained but the girl strode into the darkened cantina. He shook his head and followed.

The girl did not answer. Instead, she made her way towards the bar in the back of the room. Few of the tables were occupied at this time of day. The denizens of the cantina looked to be miners. Few of them looked anywhere close to 'awake'. Stood to reason. This time of day the night shift had gotten off duty and the day shift had taken their place. Most of said night shift were likely at home asleep, but here were always those who sought liquid refreshment instead of actual rest type refreshment. Several sets of eyes tracked the girl and more than few had interest, but they all took in her demeanor, the fact that she was armed and the alert Duros behind her. Unlike what would have happened in most places like this, _all_ of them went back to their drinks.

The girl and Duros both stilled for a moment but then continued towards the bar. That was not typical behavior for a cantina. Such places almost always attracted rough and ready sorts. The kind that either liked to hurt others or thought they could take whatever they wanted. Such did not last here and word had gotten around. Start trouble in 'The Moldy Crow' and you wound up hurt if you were lucky. If not? You wound up _dead_.

The bartender was not human. Not that it mattered to the girl or her companion. At first glance, he looked humanoid, but his head was elongated and a maw filled with sharp teeth. He eyed the human as she approached the bar but did not speak until she leaned up against it.

"What will you have?" The saurian's voice was calm, melodious almost. Odd from such a horrific looking form. Was he a CHistori? If so, he seemed far calmer than their reputation suggested.

"I have heard good things about Ruby Bliels." The girl said as she leaned up against the bar. The Duros shook his head and took up position behind her, her eyes flicking here and there across the cantina. The bartender just looked at her and she shrugged. "I will have one of those."

"Those drinks are quite expensive." The bartender warned. "The cost of one of those is far more than you would think." Was he talking about a drink or something else?

"I was told that if I ever came this way, to ask for one." The girl shrugged again. "I have a few spare credits. I can afford one drink. Even a really expensive one. My mom recommended that drink."

"Huh." The bartender turned to his selection of liquors, picked up two of them and then pulled a cup out of a hidden slot. He started to pour. Wait… Were his hands touching the bottles? The girl blinked and he was flipping them adroitly from hand to hand as he poured a bit from one, then a bit from another. "Your mother sent you _here?_" He asked, disbelief not quite sounding in his voice, but close.

"Not really." The girl sighed. "My mom is dead." The bartender stilled and then he bowed his head. "I um… She left a hidden message for me to come here if I needed help. I… I think I do."

"This won't end well." The bartender said sourly.

"Yeah, I have been saying the same thing for hours now." The Duros chuckled from behind the girl. There was little mirth in his chuckle. "Like mother, like daughter."

"So I see." The saurian replied as he laid the cup in front of the girl. "Zay." It wasn't really a question, but she nodded anyway. "Damn, Kyle and Jan won't be happy." He shook his head. "Are you in danger?"

"Not at the moment that I know of." Zay said as she picked up the drink and sipped it. She paused and then smiled. "This is good."

"Better be. You do not want to know what that drink would cost anywhere else." The bartender said with a wide, toothy smile. "But for you? That one is on the house. I knew your mother. She was a good woman."

"Most of the time." If Zay's voice was a bit husky, no one was about to comment. "She did what she had to."

"Yes, she did." The bartender agreed. "I will send word. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Staying anywhere may not be such a good idea." The Duros said quietly and the girl turned to see a figure in the doorway. The uniform was clear. First Order. Some kind of junior officer. The woman was clearly unhappy to be entering the cantina, but what was even worse? No one paid her any mind. That attitude alone spoke volumes! Anywhere else, the uniform alone would merit caution, hate or at least a bit of comment. Not here.

"Oh, not again." Zay looked at the bartender who waved her back to her drink. "She does anything at all and she won't leave." He said quietly as the woman looked around, gave a sniff and started for the bar.

"She won't be alone." Zay said quietly.

"No. their kind never go anywhere alone." The bartender agreed. "Not that it matters."

He didn't sound worried at all that the officer had to have some kind of backup nearby. Probably a fairly heft one knowing the First Order. Then again, if he _was_ what Zay's mom had sent her to talk to? Did he _need_ to be worried? As if he was following her thoughts, he smiled at Zay and waved her back to her drink. He looked at the Duros and the other alien shook his head.

"I won't let them touch her." The Duros was just as quiet as the officer picked her way through the cantina. "I owe her mom."

"They won't." The bartender promised as he moved to the side and the Duros moved to the bar to stand beside Zay as she sipped her drink. The alien nodded to the newcomer as the officer made her way to the bar. "What can I get you?"

"You." The officer was not speaking to the bartender. She was speaking to Zay!" "Let me see some identification." The Duros tensed, but another voice spoke up from the side!

"You don't need to see her identification." Zay and the Duros spun to see a woman at a nearby table watching at them over a mug of something that looked foul. There was something off about her and the man next to her, but it was hard to pin down. She was wearing brown armor that looked well used but no helmet.

"I do not need to see her identification." The First Order officer said in a wooden tone as the bartender muttered something that sounded incredibly disrespectful under his breath. Was he chuckling? The man at the table was shaking his head, but _he_ was smiling.

"This is not a woman you are looking for." The seated woman said in a quiet, but firm voice and the officer nodded, still wooden.

"This is not the woman I am looking for."

"She can go about her business."

"You can go about your business." The officer said slowly to Zay.

"Move along." The woman bent back to her drink and the officer started for the door.

"Moving along." Everyone was watching as the officer walked out the door!

Zay finished her drink, set her glass on the bar and looked at the bartender who looked as if he wanted to curse or start laughing. It was hard to say which. She smiled, just a little forlornly.

"A bit creepy, but hey! That worked." Zay's calm words echoed and then many people were laughing.

"Catherine, you are not supposed to do things like that." The bartender said through chuckles.

"I would say 'Bite me' but you likely would, Desann." The woman at the table said with a shrug. "I didn't draw on her." She offered and the bartender sighed deeply.

"Your restraint is appreciated by all of us who live in this area." The saurian replied with a growl. "Many of us have friends and family in this area. Anything?" He asked, his tone kind. Catherine bowed her head.

"No." The woman's voice was sad. "If they were anywhere nearby, I would sense them and I don't."

"I am sorry." Desann sounded sincere.

"Yeah, so am I." Catherine slumped a bit and her companion laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Zay who stared at her. "What did you do to earn their ire?"

"Survived." Zay fought to keep bitterness out of her voice and failed.

"Yeah." The woman rose form her seat and… Wait… Was that a _lightsaber_ at her belt? "Their kind do not appreciate being thwarted." She stepped to the bar and smiled at the Duros who eyed her suspiciously. "I am not your enemy."

"Prove it!" The Duros had his hand on his grenades, but Zay laid a hand on his arm.

"Shriv, don't." Zay said very quietly. "Not here of all places. You saw what Mom wrote. 'Don't start anything.' Mom was many things, she was never stupid."

"Could have fooled me." Shriv and Desann both chorused and shared a look.

"Why are you here, Zay Versio?" The woman called Catherine asked, her face serene, but her eyes… Fire burned in those eyes that matched anything Zay had ever seen in her mother's. This woman was nothing like her mother, but there was a feel about her. Zay was no Jedi, but she _knew_ that feeling. A feeling of violence barely restrained. Violence that was tempered by love, honor and duty but always there and always ready. Ready to rend and tear at a moment's notice. But there was more in those eyes. A compassion and kindness that was at war with the violence there. A deep sadness. "This is not a safe place for you. Your mother made many enemies. Some deserved their fates." She paused as Zay nodded.

"Others did not." Zay said very softly. "She tried to fix what she could. It was never enough."

"I know the feeling." Catherine reached out slowly to take Zay's right hand in both of her own. Why was Zay suddenly crying? Why was Catherine holding her and crooning as Zay cried? Why was Shriv _relaxing?_ "It is all right, Zay." Catherine said as the girl sobbed. "It is all right. You never had time to grieve for Iden, did you?"

"No." Zay sobbed into the odd woman's shoulder as Catherine held her. "There wasn't time! I had to leave her behind! I had to-"

"It is okay." Catherine just held her as Zay cried. "It is all right. You are safe and I will keep you that way. I swear it. I never knew your mother, but what I heard of her? I liked."

"Desann?" A new voice had Zay tensing, but Catherine was massaging her shoulders now in an odd, but very gentle way and she relaxed almost against her will. She looked and a red haired girl stood at the door. A real honest to god metal sword hung across her back. "They are coming."

"How many, Jaden?" The saurian jumped clearing the bar to land beside the pair of women.

"Four squads." The young woman replied as she took up station just inside the door. "For what I overheard, they expected the officer to have a prisoner, but they were ordered to raze the place after she left. She left, so they are coming."

"Four?" The saurian shook his head and a handle that had long, sharp blades coming from either end of it simply appeared in his hands. "They tried that before. They will have more backup this time."

"We passed a pair of drop ships escorting a walker transport on the way in." Shriv said quietly as Zay cried in Catherine's arms.

"The bigger walkers don't work all that well in such close urban settings. Too many ways to either avoid them or hit them from angles they cannot hit back from. This city may be small by galactic standards, but there is still too much for them simply to crush through. Even walkers will break if you hit their knees against enough stuff." Desann said slowly. Was that experience talking? "Scout walkers will function, but be vulnerable to flanking." He shook his head. "What craft brought them into the system?" He asked Shriv who frowned.

"We saw a middle weight cruiser that scanned as the 'Bakura's Revenge'." Shriv mused. "But those don't usually carry walkers, do they?"

"The First Order don't play by the same rules as the Empire did." Desann warned. "They have had time to plan, to adapt, to make new toys to hurt people with."

"I didn't mean to bring danger to you!" Zay begged as Catherine held her.

"You didn't." Desann reassured her. "This has been coming for some time. After the last group vanished without a trace, we knew they would show up again, in greater numbers. It is what stormtroopers do. Empire or First Order, the results are the same." He shook his head. "We refused to bow to that moron Ren and his fool of a master, so they had to try and root us out. That hasn't worked out so well for them." He said dryly.

"General Organa asked me to find allies." Zay pleaded. Catherine and Desann shared a look. "Can you help?"

"I am not the one to ask such." Desann admitted. "I know my limits." He looked at Catherine who shook her head.

"This planet and its inhabitants need you, Desann." Her tone was odd. Not commanding, not quite. More a suggestion? "We gave our word."

"That we did." Desann replied, his posture firming. "Kyle's father died here, fighting for freedom from the Empire after being pushed too far. Kyle promised these people he would not forsake them as the New Republic did." When he spoke again, it was calm, but barely repressed fury sang in his tone. "They will _not take Sulon_. So swear the Bladeborn." He clasped a fist to his chest and the girl at the door did the same. Catherine inclined her head to him.

"So swear the Bladeborn." Catherine nodded to him.

"But..." Zay begged through her tears. Catherine gave her a squeeze and she sobbed harder.

"You need time and me?" Catherine was musing. "I wondered why the Force sent me here. This may be why." She looked at Shriv who looked worried at Zay's continued inability to speak. "She was falling apart, wasn't she?"

"Too much, too fast, too many." Shriv agreed. "She never let herself grieve. I did what I could, but I am no counselor."

"Neither am I but you did well." Catherine reassured him. "She hasn't fallen completely apart. Her dad?" She asked and Shriv shook his head. "I see."

"Damn First Order killed them both!" Zay all but screamed that. "I will kill them! I _swear _will kill them _all!_" She started to struggle, but Catherine laid a hand against her head and Zay gave a gasp before falling limp.

"That road only leads to death and destruction, girl. Probably yours. Let us see if we can find you a better one." Catherine said as she hefted Zay's unconscious form easily. Shriv looked as if he wanted to speak, but Catherine shook her head. "I do not need a hand free to defend myself. You do. I will do what I can for Iden Versio's daughter. I swear it by Blood and by Steel."

"I do not know you." Shriv growled.

"No, you do not." Catherine replied as the saurian bristled. She glanced at him and shook her head. "He is doing his duty to his family, Desann, no more." Was that a rebuke? "Would _you_ do _less_ for _Tavion?_"

"No." Desann admitted, giving Shriv a half bow. "I wouldn't. Her, you can trust, warrior. She does not give her word lightly. And when she does? Anything with sense will _move out of her way._"

"I have heard of you and yours. Good and bad mixed." Shriv said firmly. "But her, I do not know."

"Was that crazy Jedi still mad about the Valley?" Came from the girl at the door. "Geez, Skywalker can sure hold a grudge, can't he?"

"Jaden!" Came from both the saurian and Catherine! The girl stiffened, gave both of them a bow and left the cantina.

"We need to see to our defenses." Desann said to the others in the cantina who nodded to him, rose, _saluted_ and filed from the cantina in military order! "They will not take this world."

"No, they will not." Catherine said softly as she eased Zay into a more comfortable position. "The cost will be dear, but we will not forsake our Grandmaster's oath. Fight well, Bladeborn. Be true to the Code."

"I will, Masterblade." Desann bowed to her and then, he was gone. Shriv stared at her and then at her companion, who shrugged but remained silent. The man drew an odd golden rifle like weapon and held it ready. Were those golden vanes of some kind on either side? It looked beautiful, but also deadly. Utterly unlike anything the Duros had ever seen.

"_M__aster_… blade...?" Shriv asked a bit weakly.

"That is a long story." Catherine said as she started for the door. "I will see Zay to safety, warrior. Maybe to some healing. They will not take her. You have my word on that."

"I _bet_ it is a long story." The Duros drew his rifle, but did not aim at her. He was many things. 'Stupid' was not one of them. "A good story with a happy ending?" He all but pleaded.

"Not sure." Catherine admitted. "It isn't done yet."

"Figures."


	2. Chapter 2

**Support**

The city outside the cantina was quiet. No, that word did not do it justice. It was hushed. Waiting. The inhabitants knew that a firestorm was coming, just not when.

"We need to get her out of here." Shriv started off, but paused when both of the others shook their heads. "Look, I don't know you at all. We need to get to our ships!"

"She is not going to be able to fly and I do not know your ship types." Catherine replied. "Besides, if they knew she was here and sent that officer to arrest her, then they will likely expect her and you to run. Where is the most likely place for you to run?" She asked reasonably and Shriv deflated a little.

"Our ships." The Duros admitted. "A trap?"

"Almost certainly since there was only _one_ soldier sent to apprehend Zay. That seems kind of silly. She is armed and they had to know you were with her. So it is likely the soldier was a sacrifice to drive you to flee." Catherine started off into an alleyway and after a moment, both males followed her. "Say what you will about these stormtroopers, from what I know of them, never having fought them personally, they do not lack for training and discipline. This is both good and bad." She continued down the alley, her eyes tracking from side to side over her burden, clearly seeing more than the males. "Bad for us in that if they are given an order, they will obey it, no matter how horrific. Their armor and training will make them hard to fight and hard to beat. But, we do have an advantage in the fact that their discipline will likely make them less than flexible when faced by the unexpected and no armor is invulnerable."

"Usually, the only way to win against stormtroopers is to do the unexpected." Shriv agreed. "Keep them off balance and hit them as hard and as often as we can. Standing and fighting against them is suicide."

"Well, Desann will give them a hell of a fight and Jaden, for all of her youth, is no slouch either or she wouldn't been sent with me when I asked to come here." Catherine shrugged when Shriv stared at her. "I seek something hard to find. I had little to go on. When the Force gave me a nudge? I listened."

"The Force makes no sense to me." The Duros said sourly.

"Welcome to _my_ world." The man spoke for the first time, his eyes roving behind them as he brought up the rear with his odd golden rifle.

"Hush, Karl." Catherine was grinning as he scowled at her. "You asked to come. I didn't want you to, but you insisted. Now you get to deal with it." He growled at her, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. "So deal with it."

"Whatever." The man named Karl said with a grunt as he aimed at the end of the alley the way the trio had come. "Movement."

"Scouts." Shriv was clutching his rifle tight as Catherine moved into the shadows with her burden. A pair of white armored forms moved into view, both with long rifles in hand.

"They won't be alone, will they?" Catherine asked and Shriv shook his head.

"No." The Duros agreed as he too slid into concealment, aiming at the white armored forms who were cautiously moving down the alley towards them. "I don't know all of the tactics, but I _do_ know that if we attack them and they get the chance to send a message, they will likely call a world of hurt onto us. I don't think the First Order would call in orbit strikes on civilian targets as easily as the Empire did, but I cannot be sure. The scum are nothing if not vicious."

"They have a ship." Catherine mused. "And Zay cannot fly. Even if she could? In this condition she is as dangerous to herself as she is to an enemy." She shook her head. "A firefight here would only get Zay killed. I will not allow that."

"Uh..." Shriv said softly as Catherine held the sleeping girl out to him. He slung his rifle and took the girl from the Bladeborn even though it clearly went against the grain.

"Both of you, stay quiet and do not move." Catherine said as she moved to a door and then rose, stepped as if she had just exited the door. She stepped into full view in the alley and then paused, looking at the stormtroopers who had clearly seen her and were aiming at her. She did not draw a weapon! "You! There!" She spoke in a commanding tone. "What unit?"

"Identify!" Came from one of the stormtroopers.

"You are not cleared for that." Catherine snapped, her entire being one of barely repressed rage. "What the hell are you fools doing here? This is _my_ operation!" She did not raise a weapon and she did not move, but the temperature in the alley seemed to plummet. "What? Unit?" Her tone was cool, but oh, the sheer _power…_

"423rd." One of the scout had actually braced to attention. The other was frozen in place.

"Get your commander on the com. _Now._" Catherine's word were quiet, but a command. Shriv went still, but Karl just shook his head. The previously frozen scout spoke up and her voice was sharp.

"You are an unknown in a combat zone. Protocol-" The armored woman choked off as Catherine raised a hand and the scout's rifle fell as both hands scrabbled feebly at her throat.

"You just screwed my op." Catherine's voice might have charitably been called 'cold'. "What makes you think I _care_ about your protocol? Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you both."

"We have our orders!" The other scout did not lower his rifle but it wasn't quite aimed now. "Identify now!"

"As you wish." Catherine made a motion and the still choking female scout flew into the male one with bone crushing force. Both went down in a tangle of limbs. Shriv jerked as a three blades saw appeared in her hand and flew from that hand towards where the scouts were groaning. Was it _arcing_ as it flew? Guided somehow? A short scream came from the female scout, but then cut off. Both scouts lay still as the saw blade or whatever it was flew back to Catherine's hand and vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared. Catherine shook her head as she turned back to the group. "I shouldn't enjoy that, but that kind of 'soldier' always makes me sick."

"You did that to keep them from calling it in." Shriv was pale and Catherine nodded. "And if they had opened fire?"

"I was not openly armed. I was not of their unit, but I was not acting as a civilian. Not a threat. Not an ally. Not anything they understood. I was confrontational, but not hostile in a way that their training understood. They followed their training. I have known others like that." Catherine said sadly as she moved to rejoin the group. "'Follow your orders to the letter and follow your training no matter how screwed up things get'. I saw a unit one time die to the last because the commander who ordered them to make a combat drop into hostile territory couldn't read a map. He ordered them to drop at a set of coordinates and they did. The coordinates were a _lake_ and none had breathing gear. They all went into the water. Not a one of them even hesitated." She shook her head. "Unthinking obedience has its downsides."

"No joke." Shriv swallowed hard. "Um..." He shook his head as Catherine held out her hands for Zay. "No offense, but you are damn scary."

"I know." Sadness peeked out of Catherine's eyes for a moment but then she shook her head. "These will be far from the only scouts to simply vanish if I know anything about Desann and how well he and the Grandmaster planned for this." She paused as a distant sound came to her ears. Blasters. Lots of them. "And… Right on time. Someone ran into Desann's area of defense. That is going to hurt."

"If he tries to hold a line..." Shriv protested but paused as Catherine shook her head.

"He won't." The Bladeborn reassured him with a smile. "He knows better. He will have choke points, ambushes, anti-armor zones set up. But even the best trained and equipped militia _cannot_ hold against disciplined troops with fire support, so he won't even try. He won't pick a spot to try and hold out against a conventional assault." Her smile turned downright evil. "Not that they won't _think_ he is."

"This is really going to cost them, isn't it?" Shriv asked and Catherine nodded. "Good!"

"I am the same way." Catherine started off again. "For most of my life, anger and hate was what I was, cloaked by evil into things far more pleasant. It wasn't your First Order who did those things to me, but the mindset was pretty much the same. Now I am free and I will never be a slave again."

"I was never a slave, but I saw it often enough." Shriv said as he followed. "You are far less angry than most."

"Oh, I am angry." Catherine replied as she stepped to the end of the alley. The street was clear in both directions. "Make no mistake about that. But I am in control of myself. I do not threaten innocent lives simply to make things easier for myself." She froze behind a parked hovervan as a long legged thing stepped into view a block and a half away. "Freeze!"

The other two were still in the alley as the AT-ST turned its head this way and that, clearly seeking targets. A scream sounded and Catherine stilled as a tiny form ran out of hiding halfway between her and the armored beast. The little green skinned girl with tendrils coming off the back of her head was running away. The war machine spun towards it and its weapons rose.

"You! Stop!" Came an amplified voice from the machine. The girl kept running. "Stop or we fire!" She ignored it and a bolt of energy flew. The bolt exploded near the girl's feet, tossing her into a nearby hovercar where she lay sobbing. Alive. Again, the voice. "Alien filth! Die!"

"Oh no, you don't!" A red haired blur jumped from one of the nearby buildings to land on top of the AT-ST. It didn't seem to notice as she drew her sword and tried to cut into the hull, but her blade bounced off! The war machine was going to fire at the girl!

"Jaden! _No!_"

Catherine was in motion. She had her saber in hand, but did not ignite it as the AT-ST aimed at her. Instead, she raised her free hand and her Glaive sang from it. She heard startled exclamations behind her as she ran, scooped up the sobbing girl, ignoring the shriek of pain from the waif and jumped far enough to avoid the blast from the walker's weapon. Then sick noises came from the walker as her Force enhanced Glaive tore through an armored viewport as if it wasn't even there. It couldn't cut the _hull_, but that was not such a good thing for the crew of the walker. Ricochets inside an enclosed area were no joke at all, even when they were not a three bladed saw. The walker went still and Catherine knew that whoever got the cleanup duty would be in for a hell of time. Her Glaive flew back to her hand and vanished before it could harm the girl in her arms.

Catherine slid into cover and looked at the girl. The Twilek was maybe six Standard years old and she was in shock. Small wonder with her arm broken as it was.

"Masterblade!" Jaden landed beside her, face ashen as Catherine laid a hand on the girl's brow and the girl's sobs subsided with her pain. The elder Bladeborn couldn't erase it. She was no healer. She could dull it.

"That was dumb, Jaden." Catherine said sourly as she rose, hefting the girl easily. "I know Desann gave you a rocket launcher specifically to handle such things."

"She was too close." Jaden said weakly as the girl sighed in Catherine's arms and fell asleep. "She would have been in the blast radius."

"Hard choice. Blasted or blow up. Either could have killed her." Catherine said after a moment. "But Jaden, your blade didn't even scratch it. You need more time to study to be able to enhance your blade to damage such thick armor. If I hadn't been here, she would be dead and so would you. I know what our Code says about children in danger, but if you get killed and fail to save her? What then?"

"I… I don't know, Masterblade." Jaden admitted. "I saw her in danger and I had to try. I just reacted." She bowed her head. "I know that is bad, but..." She paused as Catherine reached around the slumbering girl to touch her arm.

"It is not bad, Jaden." Catherine reassured the distraught younger warrior. "You followed the Code, but such has gotten many of us killed since our Order's inception. That said? Empathy is one of the things that keeps us from falling to the Dark Side. If we stop feeling such, we will likely become dangerous to everyone around us."

"I am not ready for this, am I?" Jaden asked as she took the girl from Catherine, careful of the broken arm.

"Only you can decide that, Jaden." Catherine replied as Shriv and Karl moved out of the alley. "War is close to the worst thing I have ever seen sentient beings do to one another." Jaden stared at her, face slack and Catherine shook her head as Shriv opened his mouth. "I cannot say. Do not ask." She warned and the Duros shut his mouth.

"Down!" Karl said sharply and everyone hit the deck, Catherine shielding the hurt girl with the Force as a long, sleek arrow shape moved into view near the still walker. Some kind of hovering tank that fairly bristled with weaponry. "What are _they_ doing here?" The male asked Catherine who growled in annoyance.

"Hovertank!" Shriv growled something foul. "When did the First Order start using _those?_"

"They don't." Catherine rose to her feet despite warning hisses from everyone but Karl and shook her head as the tank spun to face her. She crossed her arms. "If you are done scaring people, Falcon, we have a wounded child here!"

A gulp came from the tank and it spun to show a hatch that opened and a dark form standing in the hatch. It beckoned to them. Jaden ran to the tank, Karl following, shaking his head. Shriv stood, clearly unsure. Catherine took pity on him.

"This is the rest of my team." The Bladeborn said with a nod. "They were supposed to _stay at the ship_." That was sour at the dark form who waited in the hatch until Jaden came in, then took the hurt girl from the younger Bladeborn. "They are kind of conspicuous."

"You don't_ say_." Shriv sighed deeply and started for the tank, Catherine matching his pace. "And here I thought you Bladeborn were _hiding_."

"Times change." Catherine shrugged as they approached the tank and the dark form working on the girl resolved into a droid of some kind. "CA-E1? Is she okay?"

"She will be." The voice from the droid was odd. Almost human and very similar to Catherine's voice, but not quite the same. "Fracture is set. Mild concussion has been treated. Sedative administered. We will need to get her to safety."

"And these." Catherine nodded to Shriv and his burden. The droid looked at her and Catherine shook her head. "There is a battle going on. No backtalk."

"Always the hard way." Was that mocking?

"The battle is moving away." Another voice came form nowhere. Younger. Female. Excited, but also worried. Falcon? "The First Order have lost three walkers including the one here. At least two squads of soldiers have been lost as well. They are regrouping. They are landing reinforcements, but our stealth is holding for the moment. They will attempt another assault."

"We need to take their ship." Catherine said as she entered the tank. Inside it was cramped, but no one complained.

"Uh… why?" Shriv asked as the dark droid or whatever it was motioned for him to lay Zay down on the deck of the troop compartment. He did but did not retreat as it started to scan her.

"Two reasons. One, to deny the troops here orbital strike capability. Their kind rarely react well to defeat. Even if it isn't a full on Star Destroyer, it can still do a lot of damage to people I am sworn to protect. The other? I am looking for two stormtroopers." Catherine said as the hatch sealed behind them. Shriv stared at her and she shrugged. "A First Order ship will have records or know who will."

"You want to board a ship that is probably _crawling_ with stormtroopers to look for records on _two_ of them." Shriv asked very slowly. Catherine nodded. "That is insane!"

"I have never claimed to be sane." Catherine looked at the droid as it finished up whatever it was doing. "How is she?"

"A mess, but you knew that." The droid laid a hand on Zay's arm and the girl sighed deeply before relaxing completely. "She will remain asleep until I wake her. She needs time more than anything right now. Time and rest. From her readings, she doesn't sleep much. It has likely been some time since her last real rest. She has refused care, hasn't she?"

"Always more to do." Shriv sounded close to tears. "She just won't stop."

"She won't have a choice." Catherine said as a hum built and motion was felt through the tank's hull. Jaden looked at her and Catherine smiled. It was not a nice smile. "I know vengeance, Jaden. She thinks she wants it. She doesn't. She wants the pain to stop. She wants the hurt to go away. She wants to feel again. That makes her better than either of us. She is not a child, but she _is_ kin." Jaden nodded slowly.

"We protect our own." Jaden said flatly and Catherine nodded approval.

"Kin." Shriv shook his head. "She is not your kin! Her family are all dead."

"Not all of them." Catherine retorted and he stiffened.

"What?" The Duros demanded. Catherine shrugged as the whine from the tank's engines increased. She sat on one of the hard seats in the troop bay.

"I think it is best we explain to both of you at the same time. Jaden? We need to get this Twilek girl home." The red haired Bladeborn nodded to Catherine but the Masterblade was speaking again. "Falcon? Call the 'Nest'. I think it is time for Zay to meet Tavion."

"That is going to be loud, isn't it?" Jaden asked slowly. Catherine shrugged again but a small smile played across her features. "I think I will stay with the _battle_."

"Might be wise." Came from Catherine and CA-E1.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bladed mercy**

The back of the tank was very quiet.

Jaden sat near the hatch, the slumbering Twilek girl in her arms. CA-E1 had pulled a table of sorts out from one of the benches. Between the droid and Shriv, they had managed to get Zay's still form onto it and strapped down. CA-E1 was working on Zay, but silently. Catherine and Karl sat against the far wall, both do them thinking when it happened.

Both Jaden and Catherine stiffened as a feeling of incredible power soared through the Force. A feeling of contentment? Satisfaction? A feeling of peace. Then it faded in a way that Catherine knew all too well and she bowed her head. Everyone stared at her as Jaden gasped.

"What?" The younger Bladeborn said weakly. "What was that?"

"You know what happened. There was only one person I know of who had that kind of power, Jaden." Catherine shook her head as the others all stared at her. Jaden slumped and nodded. "I never met him myself, but I talked with people who did. I do not know why or how, but Luke Skywalker just died."

"What?" Shriv demanded, his voice one step from a shout. Everyone glared at him and he subsided, staring at the girl in Jaden's arms and then at Zay. Neither of them stirred.

"That was weird." Jaden said weakly. "There was no fear. No anger. Just a sense of peace?" She sounded lost and alone for a moment and Catherine reached out to lay a hand on her arm.

"Death is a fact of Life, Bladeborn." Catherine reassured the other both physically and with the Force. She retracted her hand as Jaden smiled her thanks. "Everything that lives, dies. We all have our appointed time and when it is done? So are we. Nothing good comes of trying to cheat that. We know that better than most."

"Yes, Masterblade." Jaden gave herself a shake that did not touch the slumbering child in her arms. "How long to the rally point? We have medical support there."

"A few minutes." Falcon replied from the cockpit. "The fighting has mostly faded for the moment, but the First Order troops are regrouping for another push. They are really trying to get to that cantina. Why?"

"That is the only place that they know of where we can be found." Catherine replied. "Their commanders probably think we will defend it to the death or something." She smiled grimly. "A misapprehension that Desann will use to make them bleed."

"You have been planning for this for some time." Shriv said softly. Catherine and Jaden nodded. "Because the Republic didn't?"

"When the First Order started to probe this world, looking for traces of Kyle, the leaders here asked for help. Instead of sending help, the Republic debated." Catherine sounded almost ambivalent and everyone looked at her. "As forms of government go, the Republic wasn't a bad one, just inefficient and ripe for all forms of corruption to sink in. The fact that they and the Jedi kept forgetting that the Sith existed was and is a recipe for disaster, but _we _do not forget. The Bladeborn do not forget. We do not care if Skywalker found us unacceptable. He was hardly the best judge of people at times."

"What happened?" Shriv asked, clearly confused, but still worried about Zay.

"There are as many points of view as there are people with said points." Catherine replied with a shrug. "A massive threat was negated. The methods used to do so bothered a bunch of people." Shriv stared at her and she shook her head. "We can talk about that later. It bears on Zay and she should be awake for that discussion."

"On Zay?" Shriv didn't crouch protectively over the sleeping woman, but it seemed he wanted to.

"She is in _no_ danger from us." Catherine said firmly and everyone else in the troop bay nodded. She was about to speak again when something beeped. She jerked upright and nodded. "Falcon?"

"The Nest is responding. He is on the line." The voice from in front said quietly. "Two minutes to the rally point."

"Patch it through." Catherine commanded and a small blue hologram rose from a barely visible metal circle on the floor. The man wore brown armor exactly like Catherine's. He had dark hair that was barely streaked with gray. An odd looking blaster and sword hung at his side. "Masterblade Katarn." She gave him a nod.

"Masterblade Catherine." Kyle Katarn said quietly. "You felt it." That was not a question.

"We did." Catherine agreed. "Do we have any specifics?"

"Only that he trained a final student before he passed. Nothing more." The one time soldier and now Force warrior sighed. "I had my problems with him, but Luke Skywalker was a good man."

"Love him or hate him, a powerful warrior of the Light just passed. Death may not be the end according to some philosophers or Seers, but it sure seems that way to the rest of us." Catherine said quietly and Kyle nodded. "I sense no sign of my boys here." Shriv stiffened but remained silent. "Iden Versio's daughter came here seeking allies."

"Iden?" Kyle seemed to stagger. "Oh no! Her too?"

"I didn't get specifics." Catherine turned to Shriv who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else as Kyle's hologram turned to face him. "Zay's grief was tearing her apart. A cursory scan says she hasn't been sleeping for some time. Probably because of nightmares. She needs help."

"Shriv Suurgav." Kyle slowly shook his head. "You were there?"

"I was." Shriv snapped. "Where were _you?_" His hostility was a palpable things and everyone stiffened, but Kyle raised a hand and then stilled.

"You would not believe me if I told you." Kyle said quietly. "So what I will say to you is this: I am sorry. Iden was a friend. Something I have far too few of now. You are grieving and I understand that. So am I." Shriv jerked and then nodded.

"I..." Shriv slumped. "I apologize. This has not been a good day. Watching Zay disintegrate has been bad."

"Apology accepted but not needed. When there is nothing you can do but _watch_ a loved one fade and be there for them?" Kyle nodded. "It hurts so much worse." He looked away for a moment and then he looked back at Shriv. "Jan has promised you and her sanctuary with us. If there is one thing we know, it is grief." Shriv nodded, silent. "Masterblade Catherine? Is Zay safe?"

"For the moment." Catherine said slowly. "I can make this world safe, Masterblade Katarn. I can make it so that even the First Order never dare come back here." Kyle just looked at her and she shrugged. "I won't do anything without your permission."

"How?" Shriv demanded. "They won't stop."

"Even fanatics know that there are some battles that they simply cannot win." Kyle said very softly. "Can you do it, Catherine?" What was he asking?

"Yes." Catherine said as Karl eased to her side. "_We_ can."

"Do what?" Shriv demanded. "There is a First Order cruiser in orbit!"

"Not for long." Kyle replied and Catherine nodded once, her face setting. "You are cleared to engage at your discretion, Masterblade. Jaden." He turned to the girl who stiffened. "Protect Zay until we can extract her."

"Yes, Masterblade!" Jaden looked as if she wanted to salute, but had her hands full of sleeping kid. She settled for a nod. His eyes were twinkling as he turned back to Catherine nodded to him.

"I doubt you will need backup, but if you do, let us know." Kyle smiled a bit grimly. "Most of us are angry at the moment. My own quarrels with Skywalker aside, the First Order has made us all _very_ angry."

"They think to instill fear." Catherine eased herself towards the back of the tank as the hum of its drives lowered in pitch. "The fools have no idea what true fear _is_. They are about to _learn_."

"Be true to the Code, Masterblade." Kyle said firmly.

"I will." Catherine bowed her head to him and he returned it. "_Both_ of them." The hologram vanished.

The rear hatch of the tank opened and medical personnel started forward, only to pause as Catherine and Karl steppe out. Both strode away without a backward glance. Shriv stared after them and then at Jaden who shrugged and rose, the sleeping girl in her arms. She held the Twilek out to a doctor who nodded and took the waif.

"Broken arm and concussion." CA-E1 said when the doctor looked at the droid. "Treated, but keep an eye on her levels. Children can be incredibly robust or incredibly fragile. We do not know here she came from, so we will need to find identification." The dark armored form knelt down beside Zay as the doctor looked at the sleeping woman. "No injuries we can treat on this one. We are ordered to ward her until we can get her to more comprehensive care."

"Is there anything we can do for her here?" A Mon Calamari in brown armor stepped into view, her face worried as she looked from the girl to the sleeping Zay. She seemed older, but deferred to CA-E1? She carried no sword. Was that a _lightsaber_ at her belt?

"No, Cilghal." CA-E1 was sad. "I think she is beyond our abilities. I just hope she is not beyond Tavion's healing skill."

"Me too." The Mon Calamari knelt down beside Zay and her hand came down to rest on the sleeping girls' chest. Then it traced to Zay's abdomen and she winced. "Oh! Wow. That _has_ to hurt." She shook her head and turned to Shriv. "How long has she stayed awake?"

"I don't know. I tried." Shriv said sadly. "Maker knows, I tried."

"If she is anything like her mother, she likely defines the word 'stubborn'." Cilghal said kindly. She reached out to Shriv and patted his hand. He relaxed. "My name is Cilghal. Once, Jedi Cilghal, but now? Just Cilghal."

"Wait a minute. 'Cilghal'? I know that name. " Shriv stared at her, stunned. "You were the Jedi apprentice Healer who went to the… The Kiliks..." He inhaled sharply but Cilghal shook her head.

"I went to the hive to try and stop their encroachment on a human settlement, yes. They took me, forced me to Join with them." Cilghal said quietly. "My memories of that are disjointed. Disturbing. It did not work. Not entirely. The Bladeborn found me, rescued me when no one else could. They freed me." She smiled at Jaden a bit sadly. "The loss of life was regrettable, but they did free me and I serve again, if in a different way."

"Why didn't you come back?" Shriv all but begged. "We needed Jedi!"

"Did you?" Cilghal asked softly. "I know Luke blamed himself for what happened but in the end? I wonder if it was inevitable? If _someone_ always would have fallen. Jedi history was mostly lost or warped under the Empire, but the Bladeborn kept a bit more intact. The cycles are clear. _Someone_ would have fallen. Maybe Ben. Maybe me." She shrugged. "I too know the lure, the siren call of the Dark Side. It sang to me in that Kilik hive. Begged me to run loose with it. To kill and maim and rend. I was wavering when the Bladeborn came to my aid. For so long in their care, I was teetering to the edge of madness. The Kiliks could not Join with me fully because of my healing ability and the pain that resulted drove me to the edge. I am not sure I am a Jedi now. I am tainted now by my experiences. It will be some time before I can trust myself to heal unsupervised again."

"Jan swore that we will never leave you to face your fears alone. We honor her oath." Jaden said very quietly.

"And you Bladeborn define the word stubborn just as much as any Jedi in my experience." Cilghal smiled but her heart was clearly heavy. "I felt it too, Jaden. He died at peace."

"What could have happened?" Shriv all but begged as he sat beside Zay. "I know Rey went to find him, but I heard nothing more."

"We don't know." Cilghal said as she sat beside Zay as well. "We may not. One thing I _can_ say. Luke was not the last. I felt another mind when I tried to reach his. To console him in his final moments. I may or may not be a Jedi now, but she _is_."

"Rey?" Shriv did beg that and Cilghal shrugged.

"I do not know this Rey." The Mon Calamari shook her head as she reached up to touch Zay's brow. "But this one? I cannot do much, but I think I can ease her a bit. Her kidneys are working themselves to failure trying to detoxify whatever she used to keep herself awake. She will _not_ enjoy what Tavion and her brood will have to do to help her, but it _will_ help her." She promised Shriv who relaxed a little.

"I really thought she was sleeping." Shriv said weakly. "How long? I mean, I know humans can go for days, but..." He broke off, unsure.

"Thirty six Standard hours is the human normal limit to go without rest. Physically anyway. Mentally is another story entirely." Cilghal said quietly. "After that, toxins start building up very quickly. From the toxin levels I am sensing? She has gone at least twice that."

"That is not possible!" Shriv said sharply. "She would have gone even more crazy than she _is!_" He broke off and groaned. "Unless she medicated herself."

"Which she did. She took massive doses of stimulants and other things I am not sure of. Her kidneys do not like this punishment one little bit." Cilghal sighed again and then her eyes unfocused. "Let me see what I can do. I am not Luke's power level, but I do have some skills with toxins. It is all that kept me alive when the Joining failed."

"She is good." CA-E1 said as Cilghal bowed her head over the slumbering woman. "We will have to wait and see, but if she does what I think, Zay will be in Tavion's care much less."

"Which will be good for _all_ of our sakes." Jaden muttered. Shriv stared at her and Jaden shrugged. "Tavion is our Healer. She is a kind, gentle soul until she gets angry. When that happens? Run."

"A fairly common trait in Bladeborn Healers." CA-E1 sounded amused.

"Not really." Jaden made a face. "She just took one of our notable ancestor's example and ran with it a bit far even for our kind."

"Okay." Shriv said very slowly as he watched Cilghal doing apparently nothing. He knew better than that though. "You want to help Zay and have your own reasons. I get that. But the First Order are still here and have troops deployed as well as a ship with more."

"Not for long." Jaden and CA-E1 chorused and eyed one another.

"How can two people fight an entire ship?" Shriv asked, trying to keep his voice down while Cilghal worked. "I get she is bad ass, but… That is stretching it even for Jedi or your kind." He said to Jaden who smirked.

"Catherine is bad ass, yes." Jaden said with a small smile. "The only person who might have a chance against her hand to hand is Masterblade Kyle. I saw them spar once." Now her face held awe. "It was indescribable. I thought he was the best. She is at least as good as he is and far more experienced. Jan called it a draw, but I am not so sure. Neither used the Force or half their tricks."

"So what is she going to do to the First Order in orbit?" Shriv asked.

"Kill them all."

* * *

Space

The First Order Maxima-A class Heavy Cruiser 'Bakura's Revenge' was not idle. Starships were rarely idle at any time, even when in spacedock. When they were in orbit around a planet which had suspected elements of powerful subversives on site? No, 'idle' was not a word that would apply.

That said, there were no hostile capital class vessels anywhere in the system. The First Order had the best technology, the best training, the best of everything. So, it came as a bit of a shock when two tiny objects were detected heading for the ship at a decent speed far too close for comfort. The sensor operator was just as well trained as her contemporaries and notified her superior even as she tried to identify the contacts. She stared as the readout showed 'Unknown'. She sent the raw data to the ship's analysts. They might have better luck identifying the unknowns.

"What?" Her superior was not a happy man at the best of times, and this backwater was not posting that any of them had wanted. They obeyed orders. It was what they did, but they didn't have to _like_ them. "How did they get that close? Alert! Unknown contacts point seven, range ten kilometers!"

"Ten?" Came from the ship's captain. That wasn't close range for capital ships. That was _spitting_ range! "How the hell did they get so close? Shields up! Weapons online! Point defense is priority!"

Alarms started to blare even as the unknowns crept closer. The ship's Combat Space Patrol turned form where they had been leisurely arcing outbound on their endless circuit and both TIEs accelerated with the hallmark of the First Order's premier space superiority craft.

"What kind of craft?" The ship's captain demanded and both the sensor operator and her superior shared a helpless look. "Well?" The commander of the ship demanded.

"They are not in our database, sir." The supervisor said flatly as readouts flashed on the operator's board. "Our take has been sent to Analysis and they concur. Unknown. Not something any First Order ship has encountered."

"I do not like unknowns. Especially if they can get that close without being detected." The captain snapped. He spun to another officer. "Order CSP to intercept, identify or destroy as needed."

An acknowledgment came and then another alarm blared. The captain stared at his plot as both of the unknowns turned, accelerated to insane speeds and _charged the TIES!_

"Ah, sir..." The Sensor operator swallowed hard as one of the TIEs managed to send an image of the unknown. Just before the _woman in golden armor_ cut through his wingman's _entire ship_ with a sword that was at least as long as _she_ was. The wings in the middle of her back flared with power and she danced away from green laser fire as the TIE tried to avenge his wingman. The image faded.

Both TIEs had vanished from the plot and now, the unknowns were charging the ship! And… From their vector? Not just any part of the ship. They were heading for the _bridge!_

"**_Shields!_** Tell me we can target those!" The captain demanded of the gunnery crew. "Those _things!_"

"Too _small!_"

Then the viewport in front of them shattered and all of the crew were blown out into space. Two warframes slammed into the suddenly silent space. They dropped out of their Archwings and started for the exit hatch even as emergency bulkheads dropped, sealing the bridge far too late for any of the crew there.

Both waited a moment for the air pressure to equalize and then, the Nidus warframe drew his Orthos Prime and the Valkyr her Glaive.

It was time for Tenno to do what they did best.

To _kill_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fear**

"And… done." Jaden said very softly.

Shriv jerked from where he had been dozing a bit on the floor and stared around, but Cilghal had not moved. No one else seemed to have. The Duros looked at the human woman who nodded to him.

"The First Order just lost their orbital support." The young Bladeborn was quiet so as not to disturb the sort-of Jedi. "They likely do not know that yet "

''Lost'." Shriv repeated the word carefully.

"Yes. Lost." Jaden bowed her head. "I hate them, but there are things that should not happen to _anyone_. What Catherine and her companion will have done is horrific in the extreme. It was needed, and as I say, I hate them, but..." She shook her head. "I follow the Code. There are limits."

"What did they do?" Shriv asked even more carefully.

"You do not want to know." Jaden replied and the dark armored droid nodded.

"I still don't see how two people, even as crazy and powerful as Catherine clearly is, can take on an entire starship filled with fanatics." Shriv mused. "The First Order train to defend against boarders."

"Not that kind." CA-E1 replied. "They had no idea what they were facing. None."

"I do not understand." Shriv complained.

"Good." CA-E1 replied coldly and he stared at the droid. "I hope you never do. You will sleep much better if you do not know."

"The unknown is always frightening." Cilghal said as she slumped back from Zay. The young woman's face seemed a bit less pale. CA-E1 scanned her and then the Mon Calamari who smiled and shook her head. "I did what I could. She rests much easier now. I detoxified the stimulants she took and I think I have identified the mood suppressant she took. What I do not know is why she would take such a horrific mix. That should have killed her."

Everyone jerked as _Zay_ opened her mouth.

"She wants me alive." Zay said in a dazed voice even as CA-E1 and Cilghal both bent over her. "I don't want to go with her! Please don't make me go with her? Please?" The girl begged as she fell back asleep.

"Cilghal." CA-E1 said slowly as he hands glowed with energy that seemed to soothe the girl. "Check hypothalamus region three." The sort-of Jedi tensed but nodded and laid her hands on Zay's skull. The Mon Cal hissed and the droid snarled. "Jaden! Warn Desann! _She_ is-"

Shriv jerked as the tank rocked to the side. Something had _physically_ struck it. It lurched and landed at an angle, Shriv and Cilghal both holding Zay's still form as CA-E1 worked to protect her.

"I… I can't..." Jaden seemed to be rooted in place. "No! Not her!"

A snap hiss and a violet point of energy appeared at the hatch. It started cutting its way around the hatch! A lightsaber! Cilghal shook her head and eyed the hatch. The saber pulled back and a calm voice sounded from outside.

"Ah. You lot are awake. Good." The voice was female and suddenly the hatch groaned as it was bent back by huge dark silver claws. A form straight out of nightmare appeared in the hatch, but retreated when Cilghal's lightsaber ignited in a wave of green energy. The voice from outside sighed. "Don't be like that, my dear. You know I won't hurt anyone."

"You and your slaves better be long gone when Catherine gets back, silly woman." CA-E1 growled that. She was no droid. Not if she was that emotional. "Falcon?"

"Distress call sent." Came from Falcon. "She is on her way."

"And you call _me_ silly?" The voice from outside asked. The hatch bent further, but this time, nothing was holding it. Nothing visible. "Even my Master knew better than to breach that barrier."

"As if that would have stopped him for a _moment_." Cilghal's voice was flat as she remained between Shriv, Zay and the hatch. "Begone."

"Not without the girls." The voice came again. "They have a destiny and they will meet it."

"I know how Jaden feels. As for Zay? Zay does not want to go with you." Cilghal retorted. "Probably because she has a working brain. You will not take her."

"As if you can stop me?" The other asked. That was he only warning before purple blue energy arced around the troop compartment. Shriv convulsed but through the agony, he saw CA-E1 and Cilghal shield Zay somehow.

He must have passed out for a moment. When he could see again, he was outside the tank! It had been pushed nose first into a building! He lay on the ground next to Zay as several hulking silver forms moved towards them. Odd forms. Insectoid but now. Almost a mix of spider and insect, but huge. Each was easily as tall as a Wookiee. Each had four arms and four legs, but three segments bodies as well. A human in a long brown robe stood nearby, her face covered by the hood of the robe. The hooded human raised a hand and Jaden flew to land on the ground in front of her. The young Bladeborn was shaking her head as the newcomer laid a hand on Jaden's head. Jaden screamed and fell limp.

"Don't be like that, girl." The hooded woman said sharply. "I am taking you home."

"I _am_ home! [Loyalty… Duty… Honor…]" Jaden spoke in an ancient tone as power flared from the woman's hand. Then Jaden smiled and lay still.

"What? No!" The robed woman seemed shocked as Jaden's face slackened. "No! You idiot girl! Don't do that!" She laid a hand on Jaden's chest and another on Jaden's head. Power flared and Jaden gasped, but then started speaking again. The woman shook her head. "Suicide? How gauche. We will talk later, my dear. After this mess is cleaned up."

Blue power surrounded Jaden who stilled in whatever was holding her. One of the huge silver insectoid form stepped forward to scoop Jaden up, but stilled as Cilghal flared with power.

"You know you have no chance against me, Jedi." The hooded woman said calmly. "I will not kill this child. I will do my best not to harm her. Unlike these idiot Bladeborn." She said sourly.

"No. You want her intact and as undamaged as possible." Cilghal admitted. "What you will do is far worse than death. I cannot allow that." The other threw lightning from her hand and Cilghal caught it on her lightsaber! Grounded it somehow.

"Stalemate." The hooded woman shook her head. "You try to delay me until your ally returns." She sighed. "How many innocents must die, Jedi?"

She raised her hands and each of the huge forms raised weapons. They did not aim at the group! They aimed at the surrounding buildings, some of which has curious faces at windows. Most of the those faces vanished except one idiot who kept his video camera going.

"You forget yourself." Cilghal said slowly. "I am not Jedi now." One of the silver forms gave a squawk as it was suddenly raised up in the air and compacted into a small, silver cube! Blood fountained down from said cube as it flew to land at the hooded woman's feet. The human seemed stunned. "How many of your slaves are you willing to lose?"

"That… No. You do not act as Jedi or Bladeborn. You use the Dark Side so casually." The hooded woman mused. "And yet, you are not Dark. What are you now?"

"Why don't we find out?" Cilghal asked, madness sounding deep in her tone. "I act in defense. You act in servitude to horror. Shall we see which one of us is more powerful?"

"Be calm." The other said quickly, holding up empty hands. "Cilghal! I am not your enemy! I never have been! Calm!" She begged?

"You harm my friends." Cilghal said very quietly. "You hurt people who get in your way. You take those who have done nothing to you. And for what? The dying wish of a madman? You succeeded. You outlived him." She snapped. "You didn't do it yourself, but you outlived him. Well done."

"The galaxy lost a great treasure today." Did the hooded woman choke back a sob? "Love him or hate him, Luke Skywalker tried to do what was right. He failed, but that was not his fault."

"He tried to help you but you didn't want it." Cilghal all but snarled that. "He offered you love and you spurned it. He needed help and you denied it. He wanted you free and all you wanted was to go back to slavery! Well, you got it! You got what you wanted, Mara Jade. You are a slave again. You will get _nothing_ else."

"I..." The woman slumped and threw back her hood. Red-gold hair that was graying shone around a face that was old, lined with pain and grief. "I do not have time for this. I know those odd, powerful beings are coming back. I do not want to fight you, Cilghal, but I will if I must."

"You will not take her. _Either_ of them." Cilghal snapped.

"You cannot stop me with a blade." A violet lightsaber ignited in Mara's hand and she took a ready stance as the silver forms stood around her.

"You are right." Cilghal smiled! "_I_ can't."

"What? _NO!_" Mara started forward as Cilghal wilted but then the Mon Calamari straightened again as a form in silver armor strode out of nowhere to stand beside her. Shriv felt fear blossom the likes of which he had rarely felt. He had done some research on the Bladeborn when Zay had found that message. He hadn't found a lot, but much of what he had found was terrifying. Mara backed up three whole steps as _Nia Korr, one time Grandmaster of the Bladeborn_, eyed her. Mara swallowed hard as the silver armored woman looked around, her face set under her open helmet. All of the hulking silver forms retreated as the flame haired woman extinguished her lightsaber. "_Nia?_ No! You can't do this!"

"No?" Nia inquired mildly, her green eyes flashing. "Whatever Zay and Jaden were to you before, you are not taking them. Be very glad Kyle isn't here. You know what he would do after what you did to Jan."

"I didn't hurt her!" Jade declared. "He did!"

"You keep telling yourself that." Nia replied as she drew a sword and a lightsaber. "Your lies may cloud your memory, but the fact say otherwise. I am _really_ going to enjoy this. You are _not_." Two of the massive silver bugs moved to stand between Nia and Jade.

"We cannot let you slay her, Second of the Seven." Came a worried voice from one of the bugs.

"Me?" Nia shook her head as a silver blade extended from her lightsaber's hilt. "Oh, I am not going to kill her. I am going to _cripple her and leave her for Jan!_" Hate that matched any Sith Lord's sounded in her voice as she set herself to charge.

"Nia! No!" Mara Jade tried again but it was too late.

Shriv watched in awe as the woman in ancient silver armor tore into the two bugs in front of her. It wasn't a fight, it was butchery! They had no chance and knew it! They were not _fighting_ her! They were _blocking_ her physically as the robed woman took to her heels, the other bugs following.

"Second! No..." One of the bugs lay still, the other had lost two arms and was holding out two empty hands at Nia who growled. "You do not _understand!_"

"I understand just fine." Nia's steel blade flicked out to take the bug in the eye. It fell but was heaving in pain or grief. The alien was still alive as Nia's blade came down to slowly lift its chin up so that she could look it in its remaining eyes. "My kin are allied with the HiveHome swarm. You are allied with her. You have declared your swarm with our enemy. So be it."

"It is not like that." The bug gasped as Nia's steel blade caressed its throat. "We are not your enemies!" He begged as Nia shook her head. The blade flicked and he gurgled as he drowned in his own blood.

"Could have fooled me." Nia said as she turned back to the group. Jaden lay still and Cilghal was crumpling. CA-E1 stood as if frozen and Nia sighed. "Help them, please."

"This is not our business." CA-E1 said slowly as the droid bent over Cilghal. "But is there anything we can do?"

"I doubt it." Nia sighed deeply. "Those of us who remained to ward cannot interfere until and unless one of our kin or protected ones calls for help." She smiled at Cilghal who managed a weak smile in return. "I am really the only one capable of traveling so far and acting but my oath does still bind me. I have to go, but know that you are in my thoughts, Cilghal. Be well."

"You be _good_, Nia Korr!" Cilghal managed to gasp out and Nia smiled as she vanished.

Cilghal rose to her feet, waving off the droids help as she turned to where Shriv was lying, trying to make sense of this. Betrayal he was all to familiar with but the rest? Ancient warriors, aliens he did not know, the First Order destroyed by unknown forces… This made no sense.

"Zay?" He managed to croak out as Cilghal did something that made him feel better.

"She wasn't touched." Cilghal reassured him. "That _thing_ wouldn't have anyway. It wants her and Jaden alive and unharmed." Something in her tone frankly bothered the Duros.

"Only females? I don't want to know why, do I?" Shriv asked. Cilghal shook her head. "But… Zay deserves to know, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does. She is in danger now more than ever with her parents and Luke gone." Cilghal sighed as she eased Shriv a bit. "You will need a stint in bacta to erase the energy trauma, but you are not in danger now. She probably just would have knocked you out but she can be very cunning. We will check you."

"That woman disabled me and ignored me." Shriv said very softly. "I do not like where my thoughts are going."

"If I hadn't been here, it would have been bad. CA-E1 and Falcon are forbidden to do _anything_ without permission from one of the Bladeborn. I sort of qualify, sort of not. If both of us had gone down, all they could have done was watch as Zay and Jaden were taken." Cilghal said with a sigh as she moved to Jaden's side. CA-E1 was working on Zay. "There is far too much at stake to have them running around loose. No offense." She said to the droid.

"None taken." CA-E1 reassured the aquatic humanoid. "That is simple truth. Zay seems fine, but we will need to get her checked thoroughly. How is Jaden?"

"Oh! My head!" Jaden groaned as she regained consciousness. "How did she do that?" She asked Cilghal. "She was… I couldn't suicide!"

"She came prepared for you." Cilghal said sadly. "For me too, but not for _Nia._" She smiled as Jaden gasped.

"Grandmaster Nia? So far? So long?" Jaden bowed her head. "Our oaths bind us, but… That will have hurt her."

"Badly." Cilghal agreed. "But she did not hesitate. She would not in such a case. You know this."

"I do." Jaden sighed deeply. "She wouldn't. Did the evil one touch Zay?" She asked Cilghal who shook her head. "Good. I... I will wait for a master to take me into custody."

"This is still a war zone, Jaden." Cilghal reminded her. "Zay's safety is our priority. Your life is important to me as well, but Zay has to come first."

"Agreed." Jaden sat up and nodded to the group. Shriv was staring at her and she shook her head. "If I act off or threaten Zay in any way, shoot me." She commanded and Shriv stiffened.

"What?" Shriv demanded. He stared as his blaster rifle flew out of the ruined tank to land beside him. He took it gingerly and examined it. It looked okay.

"You just met one of the Emperor's hands." Cilghal said as she knelt by Zay to examine the girl again. "Mara Jade was known for killing people. Not warping them, but times change. What was done to her boggles the mind. It was horrific, but she accepted it and her new role."

"I really do not want to know, do I?" Shriv asked as he slid to sit beside Zay.

"No. You don't." Jaden sighed deeply. "That woman runs a project called 'The Reborn'. It was originally an Imperial eugenics project, but the First Order has tried to use it." She made a face. 'Stress 'tried'. The only good thing is that she does not bow to them any more than she did to Skywalker when he tried to help her. The bad? She is bad news as you saw."

"'Eugenics'?" Shriv stared at Jaden and the Bladeborn bowed her head. "That is trying to enhance a species through selective reproduction, is it not?"

"A bit more than that, but at its core? Yes." Jaden replied.

"And she wants Zay… because..." Shriv swallowed as Cilghal and Jaden looked at one another.

"Zay's mother and father were products of a similar program." Jaden said quietly. "She has full data on both of them and she wants Zay as a template. Zay's DNA would become the basis for the future crop of Imperial soldiers."

"And what would it do to Zay?" Shriv was getting angry now.

"It likely wouldn't kill her." Jaden said softly. "It didn't kill Jan or Iden." At that, Shriv went totally still and Jaden nodded. "That is where the Bladeborn met Iden. Where she and Del were imprisoned by that evil bitch."

"When was this?" Shriv snapped.

"Nineteen years ago." Cilghal's voice had Shriv jumping. "And yes. She _did_." Hate sang in the former Jedi's voice. "Small wonder Kyle and Jan tear any Reborn facilities they find apart piece by bloody piece. Iden did the same or sent word to them about where said horrific places were when she was constrained not to act." She laid a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "Jaden..."

"_Jan Orrs_ is my mother, Cilghal." Jaden said with a growl. "No one else. Jade can say anything she wants, but if I get the chance, I am driving my sword into that evil lying witch's black heart!"

"Zay will need you, Jaden. You will have to face this, the both of you." Cilghal warned.

"She will not do to Zay what she did to my mother and Zay's." Jaden snapped. "If I have to, I will stop her any way I can. I bet Zay will say the same."

"Probably." Shriv was reeling from all this. "But… how many? How many _children_ did she _make?_"

"Dozens." Jaden replied. "But only a few of us are anything close to sane. She wants those who are to refine her processes."

"Not a chance." Shriv snarled and Jaden smiled at him, a bit forlornly.

"As angry as you are? Wait until _Jan_ hears about this. Things are going to _explode_."


	5. Chapter 5

**Meetings**

"What do we do now?" Shriv stretched a bit gingerly. He felt things tingling. Not a good sign. He ignored that to focus on Zay. He looked at the tank, but it was stuck in the wall and one of the arrow vanes built underneath it was bent. He looked around but there was no one else nearby. "Weren't we at a rally point?" He inquired.

"It moved." Jaden was shaking her head as she sat up straighter. "Anything permanent would be easy for the First Order to detect and attack. The plan was to get you and Zay to the spaceport, and then to the Nest. That vehicle won't work now." She looked at the tank and was clearly fighting not to sigh. "It would not be safe to walk there. Falcon? Can you get us transport?"

"I can." Falcon's voice was almost eager.

"Quietly!" Jaden, Cilghal and CA-E1 chorused. Silence can't pout, but it sure tried as something wafted away from the tank. Something that was not visible to Shriv's merely mortal sight.

"So this 'Reborn' program is an Imperial one?" Shriv asked the group.

"Um, sort of." Cilghal shrugged. "It was originally intended to make Force wielding slaves for the Emperor, so yes. It was that at first. That didn't work."

"Yes, it did." Jaden said in a monotone and Shriv looked at her. "The wackos succeeded in making Force sensitive soldiers, it just..." She made a face. "The subjects who came out were all insane. Every last one of them."

"Ouch." Shriv said as he laid a hand on Zay's right hand where it lay on her chest. The girl did not stir. "So how does that tie into Iden and Jan Orrs?" Jaden looked at the ground and Cilghal moved to her side, laying a webbed hand on the Bladeborn's shoulder.

"You fought the Empire, did you not?" Shriv nodded at Cilghal's look. "Then you know the Empire was all about efficiency." The Mon Calamari said softly. "First. Last. Always. The program did not work, so it was shut down. It was replaced with other, less madness inducing programs. Those took longer, but the subjects rarely broke free and slaughtered the research personnel." She made a face. "That happened quite a bit under the Empire."

"I saw some of that." Shriv allowed. "But what about Iden? She was Imperial to the core, raised that way."

"So was Del." Cilghal slumped a bit. "They were good souls, the both of them. Dark, bitter and jaded after all of what they saw and endured but good people. They did not deserve this."

"The only good news is that the one whose revenge caused Iden's death is not with us any more." Shriv said with a growl. "Hask had it coming many times over."

"Vengeance is rarely a solution." Jaden was clearly trying to relax. "It may seem that way, but it never really ends. I need to talk to Jan." She said sadly. "Every time I see Jade, she messes with my head. She is not my mother. She never was."

"It is what she does, Jaden." Cilghal patted Jaden's shoulder. "Be true to the Code. Falcon shouldn't be long procuring more transport."

"Do I want to know how?" Shriv asked and everyone shook their heads in unison. "Okay." The Duros said a bit weakly. "Won't ask."

"We have another problem." Everyone jumped as Catherine stepped out of an alley, Karl at her heels. Neither looked any the worse for wear, but the bound female form in First Order uniform was clearly terrified. She was also bandaged in several places. She looked one step from falling down or fleeing, except that Catherine had a tight hold on her left arm and Karl a matching grip on her right. Her hands were bound behind her. A piece of what looked like _space tape_ covered her mouth.

"Don't _do_ that!" Shriv swept his rifle muzzle away from the brown armored woman who gave him an innocent look. "Sneaking up on people with blasters is a bad idea!"

"What problem?" Jaden said as she rose a bit shakily to her feet. "I mean, the First Order, now Jade? What else?"

"Horn." Catherine said flatly and everyone tensed.

"Horn." Shriv swallowed. "As in _Corran Horn_, the vigilante?"

"Yeah." Catherine sighed. "He is here and so are his 'soldiers'. That means that Fett is likely here somewhere too."

"Aw spast!" Shriv growled under his breath. "Well, we _were_ just talking about vengeance, but geez, that guy..."

"The _last_ thing we need is to get caught between two sets of nutcases." Cilghal said with a sigh. "Mandalorians are bad enough, but now Horn's Mando hunters?" She shook her head. "This stinks."

"No joke." Catherine knelt down beside Zay, leaving the trembling First Order soldier in Karl's hands. "Someone has set up a whole lot of things in this system. The only reason I can think of is Zay or me. Maybe both. Zay is native, I am not, but both of us here now? Yes, something does stink." She did laid a hand on Zay's head, smiled and then nodded to Cilghal. "Well done."

"I could not do much. I hope it will hold her until we can get her to Tavion, Masterblade." Cilghal demurred, but Catherine just shook her head.

"You eased her far more than I could." Catherine replied. "I made a new friend, but I seem to have broken her about the edges a bit." She nodded to the First Order prisoner who quailed. "She has a couple of codes that I need to decrypt some data I acquired from that ship and she has been a bit reluctant to help me."

"I see. All that resisting her will do is get you hurt, girl." Cilghal rose and moved to stand in front of the hurt soldier who tried to shrink back, but Karl had hold of her and she was going nowhere. "Don't be stupid, soldier. I am not going to hurt you worse unless you deserve it."

"She is First Order! Of course, she deserves it!" Jaden snarled.

"Jaden." Catherine's voice was mild, but a bite was her deep inside. Jaden stilled, nodded to Catherine and took a step back. "Whatever she was before, now, she has information I need. After that? We shall see. But vengeance is not the best road. You know this." She chided the younger Bladeborn gently. "She has her point of view. It is all she was taught. Do not hate her, Jaden. Do not pity her either. She is what she is. I need her for the moment. After that? We shall see." She repeated. There was no hate in her tone, but no mercy either.

Cilghal touched the First Order soldier who was fighting the grip that held her. Then the girl shuddered and went limp. She was conscious, but barely.

"I am astonished you left any alive." Cilghal said after a moment. "She will live." The Mon Calamari said as she stepped back to Jaden.

"Only her." Catherine said from where she sat by Zay. "She was trying to purge data when we hit the computer core. She is not Infected." At those words, Shriv went totally still. Neither Jaden nor Cilghal seemed concerned.

"Infected with what?" Shriv demanded, his blaster up.

"Karl and I were remade by a very nasty technological/organic hybrid virus." Catherine replied. "It is dormant within us. Even so? I am being very careful not to bleed on anyone." Her smile was a bit strained. "It shouldn't affect anyone here since it didn't when I was hurt before, but I am taking no chances."

"Your history is a very long story, is it not?" Shriv asked, relaxing just a little.

"You have no idea." Catherine sighed as she looked at the silver corpses on the ground. "Falcon said Nia showed up? Did Jade touch you, Jaden?" Jaden nodded. "May I?" The elder Bladeborn asked.

"As you wish, Masterblade." Jaden said. Catherine rose to her feet and walked to where Jaden sat. She sat down beside Jaden and took the girl's hands in her own. Jaden smiled at Catherine, but it was melancholy.

"She did try and insert a command." Catherine said quietly. "I can negate it, but we will need the Nest's equipment to remove it safely." She looked at Cilghal who frowned. "We cannot leave Jaden compromised."

"I do trust you, Catherine." Cilghal said slowly. "You have been vouched for by all kinds of people. That said, why are so many disparate groups showing up here? Are they being drawn?"

"By me?" Catherine looked at CA-E1 who had remained silent throughout this. "If you did _anything_..." She warned. CA-E1 shook her head.

"I didn't, but I wouldn't put it past Eliza to act in a way that she deemed necessary." The droid replied. Catherine groaned and the droid nodded. "We likely would not know. You know about Eliza and plans."

"_Which_ Eliza?" Catherine snapped, but heart wasn't really in it. The droid shrugged. "She does mean well, normally, but _geez!_"

"She blames herself for what happened." Karl said from where he was half holding, half supporting the semi-conscious prisoner. "She said she would not interfere here when they allowed you to come, but we all know how well she handles being told not to do things." Catherine made a face and the droid nodded.

"The word 'stubborn' might have been coined specifically to describe her." Catherine accepted. "And even if the one we know promised? The others did not." Karl nodded, face grave. Shriv was staring at her as the Masterblade's eyes unfocused for a moment and Jaden perked up. "There you go, Jaden. I think it was a subtle suggestion only. Intended to make you question things, make you slower. Easier to capture."

"Was that the only one?" Jaden asked, her voice stronger. Catherine looked at her and Jaden slumped. 'Never mind. I know who taught you such things, but no one is perfect."

"No." Catherine reassured the other. "Not even Morey was."

Whatever was going to be said next was cut off as repulsorlifts sounded nearby. A long metal shape arced into view. A hover van. The back opened and Falcon's voice sounded.

"We need to move!" The girl who wasn't one sounded tense. "The First Order are being slaughtered! They ran into one of Fett's hidden strongholds and a bunch of Mandalorians boiled out of it. It isn't a battle anymore. It is a rout."

"Horn is on planet." Catherine rose but did not offered aid as Jaden did the same, a bit shaky. Shriv gathered Zay up and carried her to the van. "I warned Desann as soon as I saw the 'Hal's Vengeance' dropping troops. I do not think they saw us, but I cannot be sure. They _had_ to have seen the cruiser's reactors go critical." Shriv looked at her as he clambered into the van and the Masterblade frowned. "Say what you will about Horn, the man doesn't go picking fights with just anyone. He only hunts bounty hunters."

"Whether they have attacked him or not." Cilghal said with a growl as she clambered in and motioned Shriv to brig Zay to the sole seat that ran the length of the rear of the van. It was odd, that seat. Was it a bench or a bed? "You know they will secure the spaceport." That was to Catherine.

"We are not bounty hunters." Catherine replied as everyone else climbed into the van, the door closed and it started off. "Horn's troops are disciplined. They won't attack us as long as we do not attack them. The _Mandos_ now?" She shook her head. "That may be a different story. They can be erratic."

"You don't say?" Everyone chorused that

Catherine smiled wanly as the van accelerated. "Keep us street legal, Falcon. Speed matters, but the last thing we want to do is draw attention."

"Desann has the militia retreating from the Mandalorian battle. None of them have the gear or training to match those." Falcon reported. "No sign of Jade. If she was working with a swarm, then she has transport that doesn't need a spaceport."

"Not a pleasant thought." Catherine replied. "Then again..." She stiffened. "_She_ showed up here and then _Horn_ did. Coincidence?" Cilghal looked at Jaden who frowned.

"_Is_ there such a beast?" Jaden asked as she checked her sword. Then she sat and pulled a comlink out of a belt pouch. "I will make some calls." Catherine nodded as the younger Bladeborn's head was encased in a barely visible field of white energy. A hush field. Noise cancellation. Falcon might be able to hear what was said, but no one else.

"If she is working with Horn and a swarm is working with her, then we have major problems." Cilghal said slowly. Catherine nodded but then smiled and shrugged.

"We had major problems when the First Order showed up here." She looked at the prisoner who quailed. "As heavily as they compartmentalize information, we may never know why they came here, but this clerk will help us." The woman shook her head but Catherine's smile froze her in place. "Oh, you will. You will fight, but you will tell us what we want to know. The only question is how much it hurts you."

"Uhh… Catherine." Falcon's voice was worried from up front as the van's momentum slowed. "We have a problem."

"What problem?" Catherine was at the van's door in an instant, a hand on her lightsaber.

"There is a Mandalorian roadblock ahead." The driver said softly. "They have surface to air weapons. I can't fly around them. They are waving us to stop."

"We do not have time for this!" Catherine snapped and then sighed. "I… I will see what they want. They will move or they will die." The van came to a stop and she opened the door. Karl moved to follow, but she shook her head. "Stay with the prisoner."

Karl didn't want to obey, that was clear. But he did. Catherine looked around. The street was fairly common for such places. Even decades after the Empire's fall, its logos still shone in many places, some defaced by graffiti. Building on either side hemmed the van in from traveling on the ground and the improvised roadblock ahead of them barred the way forward. If Catherine knew Mandos, they had teams in both building. Fleeing would not be a good idea. Many Mandalorians liked nothing more than prey who ran. Who gave them a good hunt.

Half a dozen Mandos in full armor stood at the roadblock, two with heavy repeaters that were not aimed at her! What the hell?

"You are in my way." Catherine's cold voice ran out and every Mando's eyes were on her as she took a step from the van, hand on her lightsaber. "I recommend you move."

"We have no quarrel with you." Came an amplified voice from one of the Mandos. "Fett wants a word."

"You are in my way." Catherine repeated and everyone stiffened as her other weapon appeared in her free hand. The Tenno Glaive wasn't her Bladeborn sword, she had left that with her daughter. It didn't matter much. If she wanted these Mandos dead? They were. From their stances, they knew it and did not like the feeling. They were hunters, predators, bred and honed in the harshest school imaginable. Survival. But so was she and so much more. It was odd though. The Force was screaming at her. The Mandos knew what she was and they were afraid! None would ever admit it, but they were all afraid. As well they should be.

"Stand down." A voice just as cold as Catherine's sounded and every one of the Mandos lowered their weapons as a form in battered green armor stepped out of a doorway near Catherine. She had never met him, but she knew who this was. "Bladeborn do not fight without cause and we will have enough battle today to fill any of our hearts."

"Yeah." Catherine did not relax as Boba Fett eyed her. "Horn has dropped at least a company of troops and some armor support. Killing his father was a bad idea. Killing Mirax was _worse_ one."

"Mandalorians did not kill Hal Horn and Mirax Terrik is not dead." Boba Fett replied. "It took a while, but we found her."

"And why does this concern me?" Catherine demanded, still not moving.

"Because we recovered her from the silver skinned spider beings who held her." Fett replied. "He won't trust us. He may trust you. I ask you to take her to him."

"And what?" Catherine asked. "What have you rigged her with? A bomb? A toxin dispenser? Come off it, bounty hunter. You do not save lives unless paid to do so." All of the Mando bristled but Boba Fett waved and they relaxed.

"This act will pay far greater dividends than simple credits." Boba Fett replied. "I am what I am. Corran Horn is not what he was meant to be. Hunting, killing, these are the ways of life, but what he is doing is not helping anyone. Not even himself."

"Did the galaxy just fly off its axis?" Catherine demanded, stunned. "Or did _Boba Fett_ just say something _altruistic_?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" One of the most infamous bounty hunters in existence asked mildly.

"Yes! Trusting you is insane!" Catherine snorted. "Almost as insane as a Hutt trying to fly."

"They can if you fire them out of a catapult." Fett retorted and Catherine felt her mouth twitch.

"Or would that be a 'Hutt-a-pult'?" Catherine shook her head. "Your reputation does not engender trust, Mandalorian."

"No, it does not." Fett agreed. "What I have done is a matter of record. But this? I did not kill Hal Horn. Bossk did. The Trandoshan paid when Horn caught up to him, but his vengeance did not stop there. What we bounty hunters do is needed. Taking out the trash will always be needed." He shrugged as Catherine stared at him. "I have had some significant changes happen recently. If I give you Mirax Terrik, will you take her to her husband?"

"What is in it for me?" Catherine asked coldly.

"The new Mandalore wishes to speak to your Order's Grandmaster." Fett said quietly and nodded as Catherine stared at him. "I am serious."

"And… we should assume that such a thing is not an attempt to collect a bounty." Catherine made the statement a question.

"There are four bounties on the Grandmaster of the Bladeborn currently." Fett allowed. "Since no one knows who it is, said bounties will be very hard to collect even if successful." He shook his armored head. "Especially since two of them date back to the Empire and it will be very hard for Darth Vader to pay either of them." That was desert dry. "He really wanted to find you lot."

"Yes, he did." Catherine mused. "And… Your new Mandalore… Not you, I take it?" She asked and the Mando shook his head.

"No." Fett replied. "They offered, but I have too much baggage. Too many reasons. I would not make a good leader."

"And your Mandalore wishes to unite the clans? Lead a galaxy wide hunt? Kill millions for sport or pleasure?" Catherine asked and Fett shook his head again. "What then?"

"History is written by the victors, Bladeborn." Fett replied. "We are not farmers. We are warriors. What we want is to live as we wish. The First Order will not allow that. The New Republic tried not to allow that. But what Horn is doing… If they had not been distracted, I like to think the New Republic would have stopped him. But I don't know. For now? We meed someone neutral to take Horn's wife back to him. Someone who Horn will not shoot on sight."

"You are asking _me_ to negotiate for you?" Catherine asked, incredulous. "Do I look like a _Jedi?_"

"No." Fett sighed deeply. "If you were, this might be harder or easier. Mirax Terrik is hurt." He warned and Catherine stiffened. "The bugs used some kind of crystal on her. She has not woken since we recovered her. She may not and _we_ did not do it. He will not believe us. He _may_ believe you."

"Ah, spast!" Catherine shook her head. That sounded so familiar. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Yeah." Fett agreed. "Me too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Measures**

"I half expected you to kill them all."

Shriv was bemused. This was very different ride from the purloined hover van. No one had asked how the Mandalorians had 'acquired' a New Republic airmobile ambulance or why they had. It was fairly cramped in the back of said ambulance, but everyone fit. Barely. The stasis pod that took up the middle of the ambulance's hold held everyone's attention. CA-E1 was shut down beside it, hooked into its telemetry as she recharged form the air speeder's fusion plant.

"Recent history to the contrary, I do not always default to violence as the first recourse." Catherine said as she held her hand against the viewport of the stasis pod. "There are some situations where it is really the only resort, but I could tell they didn't really want a fight with me. They would have lost and they knew it."

"Confident much?" Shriv asked, but Catherine just smiled at him. "I get that you took out a capital ship filled with armed First Order, but those were Mandos!"

"I have fought their kind many times." Catherine's voice was reflective now. "Some were good. Some were not. From their armor and weapons? These would have been a good fight." Shriv stared at her as she smiled bit wistfully. Catherine smiled at his expression. "Hey! I do not default to violence, but when Mandos are involved? Violence is normally a given."

"Okay." Shriv swallowed. "You have fought them. For a long time, people thought Fett was the last."

"Many people have thought that before." Catherine replied, turning back to the pod. "It is very hard to kill an ideology. The people espousing it? Sure. The ideology itself? Harder. Is that farmer a Mando or just a farmer? Hard to say and slaughtering farmers causes all kinds of problems." Shriv looked at her oddly and Catherine snorted. "They make the food. Sure, a lot of stuff is automated now, but the basis for most of it is almost always some kind of farmed foodstuff. Kill the people running the farms or the people who know how to run the farms and people get very hungry, very fast." She shook her head at Shriv's dubious look. "Even the Rebellion against the Empire never targeted the farmers intentionally. Collateral damage aside, they worked hard to keep the farms going. Both sides."

"I..." Shriv paused and then nodded slowly. "I saw a lot of civilians dead after Imperial raids, but they always had the farms up quickly after. Mines too, but the farms were first. I wondered about that occasionally."

"Hungry people, even slaves, cannot work as hard. Sith might be evil by most people's standards, as in selfish and willing to do absolutely _anything_ to get what they want, no matter how horrific..." Catherine said quietly. "...but they are rarely stupid. Stupid Sith never live long in my experience. Hunger drives all kinds of people to do things that mere physical pain cannot. Sure, you can hurt someone who is starving, kill them, but can you erase their desperation? Desperate people can do the incredible." She smiled at Shriv. "Case in point? The entire Rebellion. The whole idea was nuts, but you pulled it off."

"Didn't have much choice." Shriv shrugged, but was clearly flattered by her regard. "You know how the Emperor felt about non-humans."

"I do." Catherine sighed. "And it is nothing new, that feeling of superiority. I try very hard not to be prejudiced, but even I feel the lure. The need to crow about how much better I am than others." She shook her head. "My personal prejudices are small things, buried by my duty, my training and my sheer common sense, but they_ are_ there." Jaden nodded form where she sat, crammed into a small space near the hatch that led to the pilot compartment. Falcon was flying the ship and Shriv still hadn't seen her in the flesh. From what he had seen of Mando reactions who _had_ seen her? He was glad of that.

"Knowing yourself is hard." Cilghal said from where she sat next to Zay. The unconscious girl was strapped to a wall bench and several sensors were trained on her. Cilghal wasn't happy, but she wasn't too upset either. "I will say that Mandalorians rarely lie to themselves."

"No, they don't." Catherine agreed. "They are a simple people in a not so simple universe. They live to fight. Period."

"Horn will give them a hell of a fight." Shriv said quietly.

"If Horn was driven to this, and that is the exact kind of tactic that Jade prefers, then we may be able to stop it." Catherine sighed deeply. "I really don't care one way or another. This is not my fight. Horn wanted vengeance for his father. Then Mirax approached him to try and get him to calm down and after she was killed? He went off the deep end. If this _is_ her and not a clone..." She trailed off, clearly unhappy. "I want to be out finding my boys, but the only lead I have, Karl is sitting on."

All eyes went to where Karl was literally sitting on the clearly unhappy First Order prisoner. She had started to struggle a soon as they had pulled her into the ambulance and Karl had broken one of her arms restraining her. Cilghal had set the arm and put a cast on it, but the girl kept struggling. No one knew of she had an anti-interrogation protocol buried in her head and no one wanted to sedate her for fear of allergic reactions, so she was awake and very unhappy.

"Would you be able to tell if it is a clone?" Cilghal asked. "I can't."

"No. If she was a Force user, I would probably be able to tell, but she is not." Catherine admitted. "She has been tampered with in ways I recognize. If she _has_ a mind, it will likely be damaged." Everyone stared at her in horror and she made a face. "The crystals Fett spoke of are something I know. Red ones are tools for focusing the Force. They can do wonders or horrors. If a _brown_ one was used, her mind will be gone, imprisoned in that crystal."

"That is personal experience." Shriv said slowly. "When did you see such things?"

"I cannot answer that." Catherine replied. "Maybe when we reach the Nest, if I am given permission, I will be able to explain some of it. Not all. Until then? No one who does not know it is cleared for my past but Jaden. No one." Everyone looked at Jaden who nodded, silent. The Masterblade shook her head. "Jaden? What word?"

"Desann reports nothing left of the First Order but bodies and wreckage." Jaden said quietly. "No sign of Mandalorians either. Message has been sent and acknowledged. They have cleared us into the spaceport."

"One thing I do not understand." Shriv paused as Catherine chuckled.

"Only one?" The Bladeborn snickered at his expression. "You are doing better than me." Everyone snickered but Shriv was not dissuaded.

"How did Fett know what you are?" Shriv asked and everyone tensed. "I didn't. I studied what little I could find on Bladeborn after Zay found that recording. I recognized Grandmaster Korr from those records and she is just a scary as those records paint her. How did Fett know?"

"He is a hunter." Catherine shrugged again. "He studies his prey and I bet he hunted our kind." Jaden nodded, face set. "I do know he fought Kyle once, during the Rebellion and Kyle said it was a hell of a fight."

"He didn't know the Order." Shriv said very slowly. "He knew _you_. Or _of_ you." Catherine looked at him and he winced. "Is this something I am likely to die for knowing?"

"No." Catherine reassured him. "That said? You will sleep a lot sounder not knowing it."

"I don't sleep much since the Rebellion, but point taken." Shriv nodded and dropped the subject. Then he tensed again. "Will _Horn_ know you?"

"Me? No." Catherine frowned. "_Of_ us? Almost certainly, but we are not bounty hunters. We never have been." Jaden frowned as well, but Catherine shook her head. "We have collected bounties on occasion, but hell, so has _Horn!_" She made a face. "Just the bounty on Bossk was fairly lucrative from what I understand."

"Two minutes to the spaceport." Falcon called from in front. "A pair of airspeeders just formed up on us. Not standard designs. Heavily armed and armored."

"Horn knows his enemies." Catherine said quietly. "I cannot find anything wrong with this pod or this woman, but Fett will not have done this out of the goodness of his heart. If there _is_ another Mandalore, and that wasn't just a bluff or diversion, then maybe he or she ordered Fett to do this? Or maybe not. Either way, the face looks right."

"I thought Mirax Terrik's death was verified." Cilghal said slowly. Catherine made a face and Jaden shared it. "On second thought? Never mind."

With the Force or high technology, all kinds of chicanery was possible.

"Her husband is bad news. Her father was _worse_ news." Catherine gave herself a shake. "If this is a copy or a clone, then it is a darn good one. We do not lie." She commanded. "We deliver the pod, leave it to his people and _go._" Everyone looked at her and she shook her head again. "We do not want to get involved in this, whatever it is. We are delivering Mirax. No more. Falcon? Is our transport here?"

"She is holding station while the area is swarming with anti-air." Falcon replied. "She is justifiably leery about putting down in an armed encampment of less than law abiding sorts."

"No joke." Catherine stretched slightly and then nodded. "Let me do the talking, Jaden."

"Gladly!" Jaden's tone held pain buried deep down and Shriv could understand that. He was still tingling from whatever had shocked him.

"You have transport hovering over the spaceport?" Shriv asked. "Horn won't just let your ship sit there."

"Circling, not hovering. And... That presumes he can see her." Catherine replied offhand and the Duros stiffened. She gave him a look. "Don't ask." Shriv stared at her and then nodded. "You will see soon enough, but _do not ask_. She is justifiably leery about trusting anyone who has anything to do with the Empire, Rebellion _or_ New Republic."

"The-" Shriv froze. There was only _one_ woman he knew of who commanded a ship that was invisible and hated the Rebellion and Republic equally. Almost as much as she hated the Empire for what it had done to the man she loved. Of course, the Rebellion hadn't done much better, hence why she was very much 'wanted' by all kinds of people. "Oh spast! _Her?_"

"Say _nothing!_" Catherine all but bit that out. "As soon as we are aboard, we are going to the Nest, _then_ you can ask all kinds of questions. You may not get answers, or you may really hate the answers, but you _can_ ask them. There. Not _here._" That was firm. "If you piss her off, she will toss you out the airlock. Zay? She liked Iden and Del. She loved Zay. She won't hurt Zay, but you? _You,_ she does not know except as a soldier of the Rebellion and New Republic. You, she will kill and not lose a moment's sleep." The Masterblade warned.

"If it is Captain Eclipse? She has earned that right." Shriv said very quietly as the ambulance shuddered a bit. They had landed. "I… I will try to keep my mouth shut."

"You do that." Catherine forced herself to relax. She moved to the side door and opened it, stepping out into bright sunshine.

The day was clear and warm, but the temperature around he landing pad might have charitably been called 'frosty'. Two dozen troopers, some with heavy weapons, were arrayed around the area, some in cover, others moving into a containment formation. Four war droids were aiming weapons at the ambulance. Two hovertanks sat a ways back from the pad, their weapons reorienting from the ambulance to Catherine. She could see other vehicles in the distance, APCs and other tanks.

"This is bit excessive." Catherine complained mildly. "All I am doing is delivering a package. No more."

"From Mandos?" What had to be a sergeant asked snidely.

"No." Catherine replied, not moving. "From _Mandalore_." She corrected. "I do not know why he sent it. I do not know how he got it, but I was asked to deliver it. I checked for traps, bombs, anything like that, because as you say; Mandos." She shook her head slowly. "I didn't find anything, but that does not mean it is safe."

"You are not afraid." A firm voice sounded and Catherine did not react as an older man stepped forward, blaster rifle held in a competent grip. Corran Horn looked like hell, burned, scarred, blasted, but still very much alive. "Under so many guns, you are not afraid? Why not?" He sounded curious, not hostile.

"Because 1) I am not a bounty hunter and 2) I am not your enemy." Catherine replied. "I was on planet for my own business when Fett approached me. Yes, I was leery, but he had guns on me. Almost as many as you have now." She shrugged. "You won't be able to stop me. You can kill all but three in that ambulance, but you will not be able to stop me." The men bristled, but Horn was impassive. "I have no quarrel with you _or_ with Fett. I have my own business."

"This is somewhat personal to ask, but if I may?" Horn said slowly. "What business?"

"I have four children." Catherine replied evenly. "They were taken from me. I have found two. I had a lead on the other two." She shrugged as Horn looked at her. "Now? I may or may not have leads but I won't stop looking and you will not stop me either."

"Who are _you_ to-?" The sergeant from before started angrily, but Horn raised a hand. "Sir?"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the First Order heavy cruiser that sent a distress call _in clear_ about being boarded by a woman?" Horn asked and Catherine just looked at him. "Said cruiser blew up minutes after the distress call was sent. Funny thing. They said she wore armor and used a sword, not a lightsaber."

"Funny to some, perhaps." Catherine replied, noncommittal. "Not to others."

"No." Horn slowly shook his head. "We have no chance, do we?" Every one of his men stared at him.

"With this amount of firepower? You could kill several of the beings in the ambulance." Catherine replied. "That would make me very angry." That was not quite a threat. Not quite a warning. It _was_ fairly blunt. "It would also deprive you of the knowledge of what is in there."

"I held Mirax's body as life fled it." Horn snapped. "The same way I held my father! Do not try to lie to me."

"Why would I lie? I do not know what happened." Catherine snapped right back. "I was not there. I am here now. Fett asked me to deliver her. I did. End of my part in this story. What happens now is between you and him." She shook her head as a blaster whined in readiness. "Or you all will die here. Choose, vigilante. I do not have all day."

"You..." Horn shook his head. "You seem honest enough, but Fett is a lying, cheating backstabbing piece of crap just like all the others." Catherine just eyed him and he shook his head again. "What?"

"I am curious." Catherine asked in a very mild tone as her hands flexed at her side. "What is the going rate for hypocrisy these days?" Horn stared at her and she smiled, a death's head smile. "Whatever Jade is paying you won't be enough to cover the costs if any of your men open fire."

"She said Fett was here." Horn said slowly. "He is."

"He _was_." Catherine corrected the man grimly. "I do not know if he still is and frankly? I don't _care_. Enough dancing. This planet Sulon is under the protection of an Order of warriors that predates the _Republic_. You trespass here at your peril, vigilante. Fett was smart. He knew he was outmatched and did not start anything. If you do? You will die here. And if I happen to be the one to catch Jade? I promise, you, I _won't_ kill her."

Her expression promised something far worse than death.

"What did she do to you?" Horn asked, not moving.

"What do you care?" Catherine snarled. "Go find a bounty hunter to kill. Preferably one who isn't fighting back. Just do not murder unsuspecting people _here_." At her insult, more than one of the men aimed closer at her, but Horn seemed unmoved.

"It is not murder." Horn said flatly.

"Well, it is certainly not justice." Catherine retorted. "Call it whatever you want. You kill people who have done nothing to you. I know what _I_ call that." She gave a minute shrug. "Either way, it is none of my business. Your package is in the ambulance. I delivered it as asked. That ends my involvement in this whole fiasco. We are leaving and you are not going to try and stop us."

"Or?" Horn inquired, still not moving.

"Or every one of you is going to die." Catherine voice might have put out a star. "As I say? I don't care what you do as long as you do it _elsewhere._" She paused and then frowned. "Of course, if you are _working_ with that bitch Jade, then things will change. Are you?" The glare she leveled on Horn actually had the man back up a step! Several of his men whimpered!

"What did she did to you?" Horn repeated carefully when he had regained his equilibrium.

"She did nothing to _me_." Catherine replied. "She hurt a friend of mine. If I ever get the chance, I am going to cripple her and leave her for Jan."

"Jan?" For the first time, Horn looked shaken. "Jan _Ors_?"

"Keep pushing, asshole! Please!" Catherine's Glaive sprang into her hand just in time to deflect a blaster shot from the side. It flew back the way it had come and short, sharp scream heralded the fate of the shooter. Everyone else froze as her lightsaber found her other hand and ignited in a wave of silver energy.

"What? No! Stop!" Horn commanded, ashen faced as he lowered his own rifle. "Weapons _tight!_"

"You are _a little late_." Catherine almost purred that as she stalked forward, only to pause as a new voice sounded.

"Stand down, Masterblade." No one dared move as a hulking black armored form dropped to land with a crash beside the ambulance! The thing wasn't a robot! It spoke again in a female voice! "This need not end in more violence."

Catherine nodded, but did not lower her guard as the Phase 3 Dark Trooper moved up to stand beside her.

"As you wish, Grandmaster Ors."

* * *

**For those who do not know, since it is an old game, Dark Troopers were the ultimate baddies in Star Wars: Dark Forces from 1995. That is, until they were destroyed by a man named Kyle Katarn with a bit of help from a friend named Jan Ors.**

** wiki/Phase_III_dark_trooper**

**More on that in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Stygian Units**

No one moved.

No one seemed to be _breathing_ as the huge black armored thing stood beside Catherine with its massive rifle weapon raised. Few knew that the weapon was designed to defeat any target up to and including heavy armor like the hovertanks that now seemed just as frozen as everyone else. Even a wookiee would have difficulty lifting that weapon. The Dark Trooper hefted it with one hand. For her part, Catherine was fighting her temper. She was sick and tired of getting stuck in other people's messes. First Zay. Now Fett and Horn. Zay at least hadn't meant to be a problem. The poor girl had come looking for help and Catherine had been bound and determined to give it even before finding out Jade was involved. Fett and Horn now? Those were not her problem. If Horn did anything at all? He wouldn't be anyone's problem ever again. There was a _reason_ the Empire had called these things 'Dark Troopers'. A reason they had been so feared. A reason everyone had breathed a healthy sigh of relief when Kyle Katarn had destroyed the project with Jan Orrs' help.

Or had he? The symbol on its shoulder wasn't the Imperial crest. It was some kind of stylized sword?

"Um..." Shriv's worried voice heralded the Duros exiting the ambulance. He had his weapon aimed at the ground. Wise. "Jan Orrs?" He inquired carefully.

"What is left of her, yes." Came a dry rejoinder from the huge robot thing.

"Iden always spoke highly of you." Shriv said slowly. "What little I know of what happened to you makes me very sad. For what it is worth, you have my sympathy."

"For what it is worth, thank you. We go on." Jan replied from her armor. "It is all we can do. Or not." Her voice turned to Horn who had frozen in place. "General Corran Horn. We are not your enemies. I am actually trying to help you. I am here to try and save your life and the lives of all of your men. Angering Catherine is a bad idea." She chuckled but there was little mirth in it. "Say what you will about the Mandos, they knew that. They were not about to push her as far as you just did. If you do? Every one of you will die here. I likely won't have to do a thing except ward the ambulance. This world is under our protection."

"Jan Orrs." Horn managed speech as his men eyed the Dark Trooper warily. "That is… What happened to you? What _is_ that?"

"Why don't you ask Jade?" Jan's tone cooled and everyone went still as her free hand came up and a long steel sword extended from it! "She is the one who promised aid and instead? She took my future from me. Whatever she has promised you will be a lie. She is not in your perimeter." That was not a question.

"What?" Horn stammered as the Dark Trooper seemed to ready itself. Catherine was all but quivering in the need to rend and tear.

"I am trying to keep Catherine calm and you are being a moron." Jan hadn't changed but so much even now. She could still peel paint off a durasteel hull even without profanity. "Jade isn't here or I would have opened fire and to hell with the consequences. This world is under our protection. You will leave. Now."

Her rifle swept over, its aim point shifting to Horn's skull.

"As big and dangerous as that thing is, I have many men here." Horn said softly.

"You have sixty seven men in your perimeter, counting the seven mechanics, three medics and the cook." Jan replied offhand and Horn stiffened again. "Six war droids. Two tanks. Only one of which has operational weaponry. The artillery speeder has not been unloaded yet. The two airspeeders that are even now looping back towards this location are being shadowed. Say the word and I will have them blown out of the air."

Calm. Cold. Utterly merciless.

"By what?" Horn demanded. "Invisible air fairies?" He was not expecting Jan to snort. "What?"

"If you think I am alone in standing here with Catherine, then you are even more deluded than I thought, if that is even possible." Jan scoffed. Then she sighed and when she spoke again, it was almost sad. "That was dumb."

"What?" Horn snapped.

"The man with the rocket launcher that you just motioned him to use is dead." The occupant of the Dark Trooper had a scowl in her voice. Everyone jerked as Horn spun with an oath to see one of his men fall to the ground. Indeed, the man held a launcher. He had been in the midst of the group and there hadn't been a sound! One moment, he had been alive, the next he hadn't been!

"Jan..." Catherine said sadly. "This is only going to end one way. He will order an attack. It is all he knows. Killing. Let me loose!"

"I have to try, Catherine, or I am no better than Jade." Jan retorted and Catherine nodded, stilling herself with her iron core of discipline. Shriv stared from one to the other before moving to stand beside them, rifle coming up to aim at Horn. He looked at the dead man and shivered a little.

"You know..." The Duros spoke to no one and everyone. "I think I recognize that style. If so? You are screwed, General. The only question is how many of your men are smart and drop their weapons." He spoke to Jan next. "Jan Orrs? Do you wish me to drop mine?"

"No." Jan's reply was warmer. "You are protecting your family. Protecting Zay as Iden wished. As am I. As are _we_. Trust may or may not happen, but you have proven to have honor. You are protecting Zay. Keep doing that."

"Done such a great job of that so far, haven't I?" Shriv slumped a bit. "Poor kid."

"Jade is a seriously sneaky bitch. Hell, she fooled me and Kyle." Jan reassured him. "There is literally no way you could have kept her away from Zay. The good news is, we _can_ and we _will_." Another of Horn's men fell, this time with a hole in her helmet! Still no sound! The Dark Trooper had not moved. "Well, General? Are you going to see reason or are all of your men going to die?"

"Specforce infiltrator." Corran Horn said slowly. "You have a Specforce Infiltrator on your side."

Rebellion and then New Republic Specforce Infiltrators were serious scary individuals. Trained in many, many ways of silent death, they were rarely seen and never heard unless things went very wrong. Then things usually got very loud for short periods of time. Demolition, assassination, any and all kinds of Special Operations had been carried out during the Rebellion in total silence and secrecy. No one would ever know exactly how many of them had existed or how many had fallen. They worked in silence, in darkness and they were never _there_. Their targets just died. Sometimes quietly. Sometimes loudly. Always dead.

"If so?" Jan was noncommittal! "They have probably rigged your tanks with sequencer charges by now. By all means, keep pushing." Now _two_ of his men fell at the same time! All of the others were staring around wildly, but nothing shone. No enemy. No sound. No nothing! "Or give the order and die. As Catherine said, your vengeance is not our concern. We have wasted enough time on you. She did as she was asked. No more, no less. And yes, Fett _asked_. He did not demand. _He_ at least showed a little respect. For which, Catherine did not kill him as she very well could have."

"You would kill us all." Horn's rifle drooped all the way down.

"Of course I would. You are threats to what I protect and I learned not to trust others' ideas of 'protection'." Jan retorted, still cold as ice. "Even if I was stupid enough to trust them? The Republic Government is gone. The Republic Home Fleet is gone. You can go out and kill people to your heart's content and now, there is no law to stop you. Anywhere but _here!_" Another trooper fell, this one clutched an arm that had a hole in it. "_Here_, law will prevail if it has to do so over your corpse and the corpses of every one of your men. Choose, General. Now."

Horn looked from the hulking black form to Catherine, to Shriv. Then he sighed deeply. "Weapons down. We are over-matched." One of his men started to protest, but Horn rounded on him. "Do nothing!" The General commanded. "We cannot fight what we cannot find." Catherine's grim smile faded as he turned to her. "And if she _is_ the one who took on that First Order ship? She killed how many stormtroopers?"

"Three hundred and six stormtroopers, seven hundred and four crew." Catherine replied, her tone cold and everyone winced, even the Dark Trooper seemed to. "Not that I was there, you understand."

"'This never happened and we were never here.'" Shriv's words were both dry _and_ biting. Catherine inclined her head to the Duros as Shriv smiled grimly. "_Whoever_ did that was incredibly skilled and dangerous. Aggravating _whoever_ it was is likely a bad idea." Again, desert dry.

"Likely. Take the pod and get off this planet, General." Jan said quietly. "Now. I will give Fett a day to do the same since his men were not stupid enough to attack me and mine. You can fight each other to your heart's content but do it _elsewhere_. If you ever come back with the intent to cause harm, expect to die."

"Everyone fall back to the dropships and for the love of the Force, keep your weapons down!" Horn snarled as his men hesitated. "Now!"

"_Finally_, I knew _someone_ would _eventually_ do _something_ smart." Catherine snarled, her rage boiling up, but she was in control. She focused herself by reciting the Bladeborn Code softly. She heard Jan do the same. Horn eyed her warily but did not move as his men fell back in order. No more of them fell, but no one relaxed. A quick meditation and Catherine was firmly in control of her anger. The Dark Side seethed within her, but the Code held her. Catherine bowed her head. "I am sorry for my lapse, Jan."

"Jade brings out the worst in all of us." The Dark Trooper did not move as Horn backed away from the mismatched trio. Then he froze.

"Um..."A fearful voice sounded from behind Catherine and the Bladeborn spun to see a woman in a patient gown standing there, CA-E1 at her side. "Uh… Is this… a bad time?" The black haired woman asked weakly.

"_Mirax_..." Horn had frozen in place, his rifle forgotten at his side. "What? How?"

"I don't know. She is hurt." Catherine extinguished her saber, sheathed her Glaive and moved to the woman's side. She held out a hand to the woman who took it carefully. She stared down at the woman's bare feet and shook her head. "Let's not get you hurt any worse, shall we, Mirax? Asphalt and bare feet don't mix. Mind a ride?" She smiled at the woman who smiled back, timidly and nodded. Catherine picked the woman up with no discernible effort and turned to Horn who was staring at her in shock. "Mirax is hurt. Someone hurt her. It wasn't us and from Fett's words? It wasn't him. I bet it was Jade. Such has always been her kind of thing." She walked slowly, so as not to jar the scared woman in her arms. "What do you remember, Mirax?"

"There was a woman! She had odd red hair." Mirax was crying softly into her carrier's armored shoulder as Catherine held her. "She… She had a red thing in her hand and then I woke up here! I don't know what is going on!"

"I know. It is all right." Catherine reassured her and then nodded to Horn. "This is your husband. His name is Corran. He is a bit upset at what happened to you. I do not think he is angry with you." The glare she leveled on Corran over Mirax Terrik's bowed head promised pain if he contradicted her. He shook his head quickly. Smart man. She stepped to him carefully and waited.

"No." Corran's rifle fell from his hand to clang on the ground. He slumped a bit and then reached out to take Mirax from Catherine. "No, I am not angry with you, Mirax. I have missed you."

"I don't know what is going on!" Mirax pleaded through tears as he held her. "I don't remember you!" Corran stared from her to Catherine who frowned as she took a step back. "It was all red!"

"'Red', Mirax?" Catherine asked, her tone heavy. The black haired woman nodded and Catherine bowed her head. "Then… There is likely nothing we can do. If it was a _brown_ crystal, it might be possible to recover it, replace what was stolen, but _red_…" She grimaced. "Those generally wipe parts or all of a mind." She looked away as Mirax cried. "I saw it far too often. Idiots playing with such things never end well. If Jade has one of those, we have all kinds of problems." She looked at Corran who stared at her and shivered at whatever he saw in her eyes. "Mirax here is not a threat. She is scared and hurt. She will need help to recover. Let go of your vengeance or end up like me. Lost alone in the darkness of your soul with only death as surcease. It will not come soon enough."

"I… I do not know what to do." Horn said softly as Mirax snuggled close to his armored chest. "I… This..." He shook his head and stroked her hair awkwardly.

"Keep her warm." Jan still hadn't moved from her spot. "Keep her calm. Be gentle. She will be slow to trust after such an ordeal. She will get moods. Such violations of the psyche are never easy to get past, but from what I understand, both you and she are strong. For now? Get her to proper medical care and for the Force's sake? Keep Jade away from her!"

"Could you help her?" Horn asked.

"Maybe." Jan replied. "But why would we?" She demanded, her tone turning cold. "She is _your_ wife, not mine. Add to that, your red haired _friend_. Maybe since you are on such good terms, you should ask _Jade_ to fix her?"

"_No!_" Mirax screamed, flailing in Corran's arms. "No! Don't let her touch me again! I don't wanna forget! I don't wanna!" She was fighting to get free as Corran struggled to keep hold of her without hurting her. Catherine shook her head stepped forward and laid a hand on the sobbing woman's brow.

"Sleep." The Masterblade commanded and Mirax fell asleep instantly. She looked Horn in the eyes as he stared at her. "Whatever you may think, now, she is an innocent and my Code is clear on such. If you hurt her, I will find you and make your death memorable." Calm. Clear. Matter of fact. Scary as hell.

"Who the hell are you?" Horn asked in a stunned voice. "You are no Jedi but also no Sith. _What_ the hell are you?"

"What am I? Pissed off." Catherine spun on her heel and stalked back to where the Dark Trooper stood with Shriv. The Duros shook his head as Jaden stepped from the ambulance, Zay cradled in her arms. Karl followed, the prisoner gripped tight. "People who do that kind of thing really make me mad, no matter _what_ gender they do it to."

"Go, General." Shriv said quietly. "These do not make idle threats. They will let you leave as long as you do it _now._" Catherine and Jaden both nodded. The Dark Trooper did not move.

"I..." Corran stared down at Mirax and then at the assorted group. "I don't know what to say. Jade did this?"

"Probably." Catherine snapped, still angry. "It is her style. All deceit and trickery and then backstabbing. It is what she does. What she has always done. Dishonorable little witch. None of us can tell if that is a clone or not. Either way, it is a hurt woman. Whether you help her or kill her is your business as long you do it elsewhere. But understand that if you do hurt or kill her? I will_ find_ you." What she would do then needed no explanation.

"You really think so little of me?" Wonder of wonders, Horn was bemused, not angry as his men retreated further, the crew of the tanks abandoning them in place. Smart.

"Your history does not engender trust any more than Fett's does." Catherine retorted. "Both of you are the same. Liars, cheaters, murderers. You say you are different, but I see no differences. He fights for credits, _you_ fight for revenge. Neither of you have any idea what true honor is or _care_."

"Oh, I think I might. Now." Corran Horn looked Catherine in the eye and nodded slowly. "I apologize. After so long…" He slumped a bit. "It is hard to see the truth after so long mucking about in lies, but even a fool can learn when the lesson is properly tailored to his needs. I still hate Fett, but this?" He looked down at Mirax's face and smiled, an oddly tender expression. "Whether this Mirax is a clone or not, you have my thanks and my word. I will care for her as best I can. My war with Fett will not touch this world."

"It _better_ not." Catherine and Jan chorused that. Horn gave them a nod, turned and followed his men without another word. A medic ran up to him and started scanning the woman in his arms, but neither slowed as they walked towards where an old style Gallofree transport was loading.

"Now what?" Shriv asked when the soldiers were out of earshot. "He isn't going to just leave. I mean... He has a _Star Destroyer!_"

"The Errant Venture is not a warship and he knows it. Even his resources have limits and maintaining even a 'broken down and captured by pirates' Star Destroyer is beyond those. A cursory scan shows it only has three working gun turrets at the moment. It wouldn't be much of a fight even if Catherine didn't insist on boarding as I know she would." Jan replied as her sword vanished back to wherever it had come from. Her voice turned kind. "As for now? We get you and Zay to the Nest. You will be safe there. We can heal both of you there."

"General Organa asked us to find allies." Shriv said weakly. "But your kind don't ally, do you?"

"Not with the Republic, no." Jan replied. "There is too much rampant dishonor there to for us to be allies of any kind with them, even the Resistance. That said, we may have options, but that is for later. For now? Let's get you and Zay to care. We can talk when she wakes and after you have had a stint in bacta to heal the pain I sense from you."

"You… You didn't have the Force." Shriv said softly. Catherine looked at him and he winced. "Or is this _another_ thing I really do not not want to know?"

"It is not a pleasant story. If Zay asks, I will explain as much as I can. If she wishes to hear the story, then I will tell you both, but _after_ healing." Jan sighed heavily. "After I get yelled at."

"Who would dare yell at that?" Shriv asked, humor rising as he eyed the massive black armored form.

"You haven't met our healer."

The Dark Trooper started off, the mismatched group following her. None of them looked back as they passed the dead troopers. Very carefully, none of them noticed when a trio of shadows came alive from the side of the closest building and started removing the bodies. In a few minutes the only traces would be the tanks and knowing those shadows? Those would only be debris. Falcon's form wavered partially visible in mid-air, sickened by the carnage and one of the shadows spoke.

"Hold tight to those feelings, Falcon." The hulking humanoid in odd armor said quietly. It was white but was distinctly not stormtrooper armor. Older? Still functional despite teh red paint that covered it, including what looked like a bloody hand print on the helmet. "If you lose them? You lose yourself and become like me."

"You are not lost, Sev." Falcon promised as she reasserted her will and her Sentient form vanished from view. "You are not dead."

"No?" The former Republic Commando asked quietly as he slung a body to carry to disposal. "Could have fooled me. I died a long time ago and my pod is gone too. This? This is all I know. All I am. Death."

There really wasn't a good answer to that, so Falcon hurried to catch up to the group, leaving the scary, sneaky folk to their grim task. Sentients could not shudder, but she managed.

_The Republic made him to be this and _'I'_ am the one called a monster?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Medical mayhem**

"What the hell has she done to herself?"

The irate words pulled Zay out of a dreamless sleep. She felt odd. Light. Feathery almost. She was detached. Not calm. Not quite, but not attached to anything emotional. The speaker was not young, but not old either. Female. Furious.

"I thought she was sleeping. I really did." That was Shriv. He sounded worried. Zay didn't like to worry him. She did, far too much, but Zay loved Shriv and he was kind to her. Well, most of the time.

"From these readings, she hasn't been sleeping at _all!_ She is back with us. Easy, girl. Easy." The voice turned kind as Zay tried to open her eyes and could not. Something was on her face! She tried to reach for it, but someone grabbed her hand and held it down. "No, Zay Versio. You need to rest now. _Really_ rest."

"No!" Zay begged as she tried to move and couldn't! Was she restrained? She didn't feel anything holding her down, she was just so weak. She felt warm, clean. Something seeped through her from her hand and it eased tight muscles, soothed constrictions, calmed her. Her fear faded and she sighed in relief. "The woman with fiery hair comes for me in my dreams. Says she is my mother. She isn't!" A familiar hand took hold of her other hand. Not a human hand. A Duros. Shriv. He gave her hand a squeeze and she was comforted as always by her uncle. "She is not my mother!"

"No, she is not." The female voice turned hard. "She claims that with a _lot_ of people. She has the motherhood instincts of a Firaxa shark. Even a Rancor mother has more nurturing instincts than that one ever will." Her tone turned reassuring. "Zay Versio, you are safe here. You will not want to be awake for what I have to do to clean you out. The nanites, stimulants and mood suppressants all left residues that will turn toxic shortly if I allow it. I will not. What I have to do will not be pleasant and you must sleep through it."

"I do not want to sleep!" Zay sobbed and something wet wiped her face as tears fell. "I see Mom where she fell. I see that fire haired woman who is trying to get me to come to her… I cannot..."

"It is all right, Zay Versio." The other made a soft noise of sadness and commiseration. "I know what Jade does and how she does it. We can stop it here. Aeron, prep the connections. She is too close to the edge. We need to ease her in."

"Yes, Tavion." An older voice sounded from nearby. Calm, professional, with just the hint of worry underneath.

"I do not want to sleep!" Zay screamed the words again, or tried to. It came out a croak.

"We can't always get what we want." The other, Tavion, said quietly. Rage sang under her tone. "Or I would have that evil woman roasting over a slow fire. That said, Zay Versio, you _need_ to sleep. We need to get the residues out of you quickly and the best way is very invasive and uncomfortable."

"Please don't make me sleep!" Zay begged. "Shriv! Please!"

"Why didn't you say anything, you silly girl?" The Duros sounded nearly in tears. "I might have been able to do something!"

"I couldn't." Zay said weakly. "She… She said she would kill you if I said anything to you and then, when I woke? I couldn't say it! I tried!"

"That is fairly typical." Tavion was not happy. Not at all. "Jade is a competent mental technician if nowhere near as good at it as she _thinks_ she is." A hand touched Zay's forehead. "Girl, you need to sleep through this. I give you my word, you will not dream."

"Why?" Zay demanded, but it was more fear than anger. "Why must I sleep?"

"Because we are going to have to stick tubes in a whole bunch of unpleasant places." Tavion replied and Zay went still. "We are going to have to flush you out completely and then filter what is left. That is _not_ something you want to be awake for."

"S...Shriv?" Zay begged and his hand gave hers a squeeze.

"They have not lied to me that I know of." Shriv allowed. "They told me what they are going to have to do, showed me what is required and no, you do _not_ want to be awake for it, Zay. I hoped you wouldn't wake until they were done, but you never play by anyone's rules but your own, do you, you idiot girl?" That was both sour and fond.

"Do you trust them?" Zay asked. Shriv made a soft noise and Zay slumped. "I am a mess."

"I do." Shriv replied. "They could have just grabbed you, brought you here and done anything and everything to you, awake or no. Jade would have done just that, wouldn't she?" He asked the other.

"Probably." Tavion wasn't faking that hate. Not a chance. "That witch wouldn't know honor if it bit her. Which it has more than once since she hurt Jan."

"She hurt Jan?" Zay asked, confused. "I…" She sighed and relaxed completely. "Do what you have to, Doctor. Shriv is a better judge of character than I will ever be."

"It is just experience, Zay." Shriv reassured the girl. "I will be here. I am not going anywhere."

"I can't trust what I feel, Shriv." Zay sobbed weakly as something wrapped around her head. It felt odd. Not metallic. Not cloth. Almost fleshy? It settled around her head, something went 'hiss' and then she was floating. "Everything is wrong. Everything is going wrong and I can't trust my own mind!"

Was something _licking_ her face? Cleaning her tears off? It felt soft, warm and wet. It sure felt like a tongue, but it was gentle. Whatever was happening was soft and gentle. She sighed deeply and relaxed, truly calm for the first time in quite a while.

"You will be able to when we are done." Tavion promised. "But for now? Deep breaths. Breath slow and easy. Let us take care of you. Rest now in the arms of Ashla. You should not dream and if by some mischance you do? You will not be alone."

Zay took a deep breath, followed by another. Why was she suddenly feeling _blue?_ Not bad, the _color!_ Why was the gentle shade of light blue _singing_ to her? She was trying to figure out what the words were when the blue swallowed her up and cradled her close. Soft and warm and soothing. She fell asleep smiling.

* * *

A very strange medical ward

Shriv stared at Zay as the girl finally fell asleep. Her face lost the last shades of fear even as the thing that surrounded her head closed about it, leaving only her lower face exposed under the clear mask that was piping some kind of gas into her nose and mouth. He wasn't sure what the thing around her head was. Some kind of bio-engineered thing that had cleaned her tears off in a fairly disgusting manner. But… It wasn't hurting her. Far from it. She was smiling in her sleep, at ease. Finally not scared or sick. Finally at peace. He jerked as a human hand touched his arm and turned to stare at a middle aged human woman in a hospital uniform.

"You do not want to watch." The nurse who had been introduced as Aeron said quietly. "It will be fairly messy, but Tavion will ensure she feels none of it. She will wake in about eight hours, with no pain, calm and rested. The tank is clean. Your turn now." She shook her head as he set himself. "Don't get stubborn. Don't make me get Jan or worse, _Catherine_ in here." She shuddered dramatically as the other female in surgical garb made a sour noise. "It gets loud around those two and Tavion."

"It is not my fault they are morons." Tavion was doing something and Shriv stared as she held up a tube that had a bulbous end and examined it before smearing the tip with an odd looking slick substance. Where was she going to-? He looked away quickly. "Jan should have known better than to run around in that damn thing again."

"How else was she going to stop Catherine?" Aeron asked as she pulled Shriv towards the door. "Zay needed help. Catherine was not _about_ to let that fool Horn or _anyone_ stop her from getting the girl to help after swearing what she did. You know how the Masterblade reacts to such."

"I do. Messy." Tavion actually shuddered. "Well, at least she got Zay to us. We will take it from here." She said to Shriv.

"I failed her." Shriv said sadly, but let himself be led from Zay's room.

"No, you didn't. You got her to us." Aeron reassured him as she led him through an oddly organic looking corridor. "The rest is in Ashla's hands but Tavion is very skilled. I know it is hard to believe after seeing her bedside manner, but she is the best I have seen." The nurse shook her head. "Seeing Zay like this really hurt her."

"She knew Zay before, didn't she?" Shriv asked as the nurse led him into a room with a large tank in one corner. A bacta tank, but odd. More fleshy than metal like most of the odd ship he had seen. Nothing was scary or threatening. Indeed, everyone was kind, gentle almost. Odd, but then again, if they had known Iden, then they were likely grieving just as he and Zay were. He had seen an eclectic mix of races so far, but only talked to a few. He paused as a familiar voice sounded.

"She did." The familiar voice heralded Jan Orrs appearing nearby. The wheeled chair she was confined to when not in her armor was distinctive and only a fool would take it for 'harmless'. His trained eye could see it was armored and a small turret held something that was unlikely to be a stun weapon. "She was with Kyle when he blew his way into the facility to rescue me. When we found Iden and Del." Jan shook her head, the only part of her body she could move outside of her armor. "She is the only reason I survived. Tavion is the only reason I _stayed_ when all my hope was all taken from me. Well..." She made a face. "Tavion and _Nia_."

"_That one_ is fairly memorable." Shriv paused as Aeron pushed a button near the door and a screen slid from one wall along with a table that held a folded patient gown. He shook his head, but did not argue. Instead, he started to change. Armor and bacta tanks did not mix. "If she had told _me_ to do something, I likely would."

"Smart Duros." Jan said with a smile. "But it wasn't her. Or, not _just_ her. I will explain to both you and Zay when she wakes. You need rest too even after the energy trauma is healed." Shriv looked at her and she shook her head again. "I will make sure you are awake before Zay is. _Once_ changing the girl's diapers was _more_ than enough." She complained, but she was smiling as she did.

"What?" Shriv asked as he folded his clothing and laid it down, clambering into the gown. "The story was that Iden and Del had Zay after they got stuck on a backwater planet. Was that true?"

"In so far as it goes, yes. They and _we_ were trapped for a time on that world after Jade fled our wrath and blew up our ships in doing so. Zay was born there." Jan said quietly. "It wasn't a lie and no matter what anyone may say, what happened between her parents _was_ consensual. Del and Iden truly loved each other. Iden was actually pregnant before Jade approached her. Before that evil witch kidnapped them and took them both to her little corner of hell. I was out of it by then and seeing me the way I was in Jade's care shocked them both to the point that Jade had to imprison them. It was not easy to hold them. Less so when Jade realized that Iden was with child."

"I bet." Shriv sighed as he stepped from the screen, clasping the flimsy gown around himself. "These things, I swear..."

"At least you can use your _hands_." Jan's tone was wicked as she grinned at him and Shriv shook his head. Her sense of humor took some getting used to. "Tavion will shove me in the other as soon as Jaden gets out." She shook her head. "It never helps, but she has to keep trying. She promised me that she would find a way for me to walk again."

"Um, it is really none of my business…." Shriv said as Aeron started to lead him to the tank. "But Iden said Kyle blamed himself."

"He did. He does." Jan said heavily. "It was his lightsaber that did this to me, but not his will guiding it. The Dark Side had consumed him and he was lost. I have never blamed him for that. Other things? Yes. He is a pig headed piece of trash far too often, but he does mean well."

"Yes, he does, Grandmaster." Aeron said quietly as she climbed to a ledge on the top of the tank and indicated a chair that would take for Shriv up to the top. He would be able to climb in on his own, unlike many patients.

"Zay is going to ask so I think I will wait to hear the story." Shriv said as he sat. The ride up was quick and smooth. Aeron held up a mask that was sized for his mouth and he grimaced but nodded and let her place it and secure it. Since he had no nose like a human, that was all she had to do and she smiled as he took slow breaths.

"You have done this before. Good." Aeron guided him to the side of the tank and let him ease himself into it. The bacta fluid was warm, but not hot. Comfortable and he felt eased even as he slid down through the viscous fluid. He had been in tanks like this before, so he knew he would be completely healed by the time he got out.

Now, If only Zay was… so…

Shriv nodded off, unaware of scrutiny from nearby. Unaware of the being that scanned him with senses both common and not so common. A bronze skinned version of the silver bugs who had tried to protect Jade from Nia.

* * *

Outside the tank

"He has been tampered with too." The voice of the ship's advisor came to both Aeron and Jan who nodded soberly. The huge bronze creature who was the same species as the silver ones from before did not really fit into the small room, but she had access to everywhere aboard. That made sense since her people had built the ship for Jan and her family of misfits. "The methods are the same. I will counter in his mind as I am doing in the girl's."

"Jade. Damn her." Jan said in a monotone. "We really need to find her and end her."

"Agreed." The large bronze skinned spider creature said firmly. "That witch is a stain on the galaxy and if she has a swarm or a _queen_ working with her? That is far worse."

"She has to, doesn't she?" Aeron was worried. As well she should be.. "I mean, that is the only way to get those crystals, isn't it? To have one of your people make them?"

"Indeed. Usually a nanite controller makes them but any of my people can if the need is deemed great. All of ours are accounted for." The huge alien being said softly. "Our Nanite Council instituted a search of all of the vaults as soon as Catherine and Jaden reported that Mirax had been tampered with. All of the registered focuses and prisons are accounted for. Add to that the Sitolon that Nia scared off? We have tried to ID the remains with no luck. They are not of any known swarm. We have an unregistered swarm working with Jade. Ancestors only know _why_."

"Sithspit, that is not good." Jan said with a grunt that turned into a groan. Aeron was at her side in an instant and Jan glared at her. "Yes, it hurts. No, you can't do anything about it." She paled as she realized how harsh she had sounded, but Aeron beat her to speech.

"I can be here for you." Aeron was not fazed by Jan's temper. No one suffering as she did was lucid all the time. She held out her hand to Jan's cheek and Jan laid her face in the woman's caress. She would not feel it anywhere else without the Force. "None of us who lack the Force understand exactly what you suffer, but we all owe you, Grandmaster. We will not forsake you."

"I do not deserve you, Aeron Azzameen." Jan's eyes were glistening but neither woman commented. "I never did."

"You are wrong." Aeron replied. "We all hoped the Sitolon could help you. I so hoped." She looked at the bronze insectoid who bowed her head.

"It was too much." Jan replied, pushing against Aeron's hand. "Too much damage. Too long ago. Then Jade's insanity. This is inconvenient, but I am alive. Thanks to you and the others, I have something to do, so I am not bored."

"CA-E1 wishes to examine you." The Sitolon said quietly. "Will you let it?"

"I shouldn't." Jan said with a sigh as Aeron held her hand in place, letting Jan do as she wished. The chair bound woman brushed her cheek against the woman's hand again and retreated. "Just having Catherine and her companions here is causing all kinds of problems for Nia and the others."

"And do they _care?_" The alien asked, a bit snide. Both humans laughed.

"You are _bad_, Julisfrijugokilosa." The alien name fell easily off Jan's tongue now. It hadn't started that way, but now? The bronze spider alien was a friend, a confidant and a member Jan's Order. "Here I am trying to be a good, dutiful Bladeborn and you are inciting me to evil? What kind of subordinate are you?"

_That_ had taken some very complex negotiations.

"As you humans say, 'Duh'?" The huge bronze bug replied deadpan. "Evil is much more fun." Jan stared at the bronze creature and then she was laughing hard. Aeron laughed with her and the spider alien laughed as well.

"Bad! _Bad_ Sitolon!" Jan managed to stifle her laughter after a moment. But she was still chuckling. "Once Tavion lets me out of durance vile, I will talk to Catherine and CA-E1, Ilosa. Tell the others that. I don't know what she can do, but maybe… Maybe it won't cause too much upset with the swarms."

"You are not a Jedi, Jan." The bug replied, a small appendage uncoiling to reach out to the chair-bound woman. Jan nodded permission and it touched her cheek the same as Aeron had. Gently. Kindly. Offering comfort. "We will never trust them, but you? You and Kyle have earned our trust. If we can aid, we will. We cannot fight another swarm, but we can and will aid you if _you_ _and yours_ do."

"Thank you, Ilosa." Jan said and then her face went blank. Both mismatched friends stared as a tear slowly fell from her left eye.

"Jan?" Aeron asked, worry rising again.

"You felt it." Jan said to the insectoid who bowed her huge head. "I… I hoped, but she was old, tired and I could feel her pain the last time we talked. Han's death hurt her very badly. She… I..." Jan was crying softly now as Aeron hissed in realization. Jan had been born on Alderaan, raised there! "Whatever else she may have been, Leia Organa was my _princess!_"

Aeron did not hesitate. She leaned close and hugged the chairbound Grandmaster of the Bladeborn. The huge insect/spider hybrid creature leaned close as well and laid her antennae on Jan's head, her own sorrow matching the two humans'. A voice that was many voices came to them from far away. _All_ of the Sitolon grieved with Jan.

_The galaxy has now lost two bright stars. Skywalker has fallen and now his sister. __We will remember Leia Organa for as long as our race endures. _

_Thank you._


	9. Chapter 9

**Determination**

Zay woke up instantly, her mind clear and calm. She marveled in the feeling for just a moment. It was so different from how she had felt before that it was almost miraculous. She had not dreamed. Every time she had slept before after her mom had perished, she had dreamed either of her mom or of the flame haired woman who had rubbed her so very much the wrong way. She cracked her eyes and went totally still. Shriv was sitting beside her bed, head bowed.

"Uncle Shriv?" Zay marveled that her voice sounded so normal to her ears. She wasn't hurting. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't- She jerked as Shriv looked at her and his face was streaked with the tracks of tears. He had been crying. "Uncle?" Zay asked, suddenly afraid. She reached for him, aware that she was clean and clad in a patient gown.

"It is all right, Zay." Shriv reached out to take her hand. She gave his hand a squeeze and he returned it. "I am sad, but it is nothing you did or didn't do. You will be sad too when I tell you."

"What has happened?" Zay asked, fear rising. He gave her hand another squeeze but looked away. "Uncle?" She pleaded.

"Two very good people died today. You never met Leia Organa." Shriv said softly. "You only heard her voice over the com." Zay nodded. She had seen the woman, of course and heard a lot about her, but Zay had never actually been introduced "She was old. Tired." Zay went totally still and Shriv nodded. "She is dead. So is her brother."

"No." Zay said weakly as tears started to threaten. "Rey was… I thought… Leia? She asked us to find _allies_… I..."

"I met her during the Rebellion." Shriv was crying as Zay held his hand. "Every one of us knew who she was. Every one of us knew that she would have died for the Rebellion. For the hope that we tried to spread into dark places. Fighting the Empire was nuts, but for many of us, it was the only choice. She was our light. And then, her brother..." He made a face. "Not that any of us _knew_ he was her brother until after Endor. And I thought _my_ family was messed up." He smiled at Zay who smiled back, still sad, but heartened.

"I always wondered… Luke and Leia… They didn't know they were related. Did they ever…?" Zay started and Shriv glared at her. She smirked as his glare intensified. "Hey! I can wonder!"

"Get your mind out of that gutter." The Duros was smiling a trifle sadly as he shook his head. "The answer is 'No'. They never slept together." Zay looked at him and Shriv chuckled, a bit sadly. "Not for lack of that farm boy trying though. You should have _seen_ it on Hoth when Luke and Han were vying for her affections. It got _awkward_. Some of us took distant posts just to get away from the tension in the base."

"You were on Hoth?" Zay asked, incredulous. The stories for that place and time defined the word 'horrific'.

"A bit." Shriv replied. "I came and went as my duties took me." He shook his head. "I wasn't there when the Empire hit the base. A lot of my friends were. Few made it out." He looked away from Zay and his face held old pain now.

"I am sorry." Zay squeezed his hand again. "But if General Organa is gone… What do we do?" She all but begged.

"We do as she wished. We spread the fire of rebellion." Shriv replied. "We tell people that the First Order, for all of their evil and power, are not invincible any more than the Empire was. They can be stopped. They _must_ be stopped." His eyes held her and she nodded slowly. "For now? You are healed and so am I." He sighed deeply as Zay stared at him, confusion warring with fear. "Apparently that evil woman who was trying to take you hurt me too, but the Bladeborn stopped her." Zay stared at him in horror, but Shriv smiled. "It is all right, Zay We found them. We found the Bladeborn." He shook his head, bemused. "They are not what I expected."

"Are you all right?" The words burst from Zay, torn from her heart as much as from her brain. Losing her dad they way they had, then _seeing_ her mom cut down and not being able to do a darn thing to help had hurt her very badly. She couldn't lose Shriv. Not now.

"I am." Shriv reassured her. "The healers here are top notch." He made a face. "Tavion can be a bit much, but she _does_ mean well." He paused and shrugged. "I think."

"I was rude to her, wasn't I?" Zay asked, paling.

"Zay." Shriv chided her just a little and she relaxed. "You were sick. You were hurt. You were terrified." Shriv replied. "She will likely growl at you, but she understands. You were nowhere _near_ as rude to her as I have been to healers when waking after being hurt. Not that I would dare to say such to _this_ one." He mock shuddered and Zay relaxed fully.

"I um..." Zay gave herself a shake and focused. "If General Organa is gone, who do we report to?"

"I am not sure." Shriv made a face. "What little I have been able to access of the Resistance networks are a mess right now. The few missives I have seen are basically people blaming other people." He shook his head. "It seem that no matter the species, that will always remain the same."

"I um..." Zay shook her head and focused on the task at hand. "I guess I need to talk to people. Who is in charge?"

"Grandmaster Orrs is in charge." Shriv replied. "She is also not what I expected, but she is a good soul if I am any judge of such things."

"And where are we?" Zay asked as she sat up, still holding Shriv's hand. "We are sad, but we go on. The First Order must not be allowed to triumph."

"You have so much of your mother in you." Shriv all but choked as Zay pulled him close and hugged him tight. "I am sorry, Zay. I am sorry I failed you."

"You didn't." Zay hugged the Duros tight enough to hurt, but neither commented. "There are some foes no one can fight. You got me to safety and people who could help me. Thank you, Uncle. We need to see what we can do, and if they cannot or will not help us? We go find people who will."

"Yeah." Shriv gave her a squeeze and released her. Then he smirked as she sat back and slid to get out of the bed. "But you better put some clothes on first."

"Why?" Zay asked, her smile huge as Shriv groaned.

"Because..." Shriv broke off and there slumped a bit. "Geez, girl,. Still trying to get me to laugh?" He asked a bit mournfully.

"It is laugh or scream, Uncle Shriv." Zay said quietly as she stood up and tested her balance, Everything seemed right, as odd as that was. Looking around the room, it was odd. The walls were not metal. Some kind of bio-tech? "Where are we?" She asked.

"A Bladeborn ship. They call it 'The Nest'." Shriv replied as he pulled a package from the floor beside him. "Your clothes and weapons."

"They let us keep our weapons?" Zay asked as she started to pull her garments on. Shriv turned his back politely and she smiled but did not comment. He had helped change her diapers, so she had no need for embarrassment around the Duros.

"Grandmaster Orrs says we are guests, not prisoners." Shriv shrugged. "That said, I would not suggest drawing a weapon here." Zay made a face as she pulled her shirt on straight.

"If half of what I have heard about them is true, no." Zay said softly. "You found more." Shriv nodded and Zay sighed as she finished pulling her pants on. "Okay, safe to look now, Uncle."

Shriv turned back as Zay sat on the bed to pull her boots on. The Duros' face was somber.

"Whatever we found does not so them justice, Zay." The hairless alien warned. "They seem like good people. But if there one thing I know after fighting for the Rebellion and Resistance? Good people can do really bad things when pushed. Whatever else you may think, these are not Jedi. Do not treat them as such." He warned as Zay nodded.

"What happened on Sulon?" Zay asked. "I blacked out. That woman? She told me to sleep, I think. I did and I didn't dream."

"The First Order got their asses kicked. They walked into a city wide ambush laid by top ranked masters of the craft." Shriv pursed his lips. "I do not know who they had setting that trap, but I do know the Bladeborn have at least one Specforce Infiltrator working with them." Zay stiffened and Shriv nodded. "Do not try to sneak anything onto or off this ship. It won't end well."

"If _half_ of what Mom said about Alliance Specforce Infiltrators was true…. Inferno Squad considered them worthy foes." Zay said softly and Shriv nodded.

"They did." Shriv agreed. "Imperial Special Forces were no joke at all, as your mom and dad attested. But those guys were damn scary." The Duros shook his head. "They were on my side and they scared the hell out of me more than once." He made a face. "I think they did it just to do it."

"Or to stay in practice." Zay finished sealing her boots, slung her belt around her hips and rose to her feet. "Mom told me to find the Bladeborn, but nothing past that. Do you have any idea what to do now?"

"No." Shriv reached out to pull Zay to her feet and she smiled and then embraced him. "Hey." Shriv hugged her back. "It is okay, kiddo. We will play it by ear. One thing, do not even _think_ about betraying these people. It won't end well."

"Why would I?" Zay asked as she stepped away form him to move towards the door. She paused as it opened in front of her. A dark haired man turned to face the door. He was middle aged, not young, but not old either. His beard was graying with his hair, but both were still full. Zay looked at him and then nodded. "Captain Katarn. Mother left your image in the file she hid in my ship."

"Zay Versio. Good to see you looking so much better." Kyle Katarn said with a smile. "'Captain' was long time ago. Think you can call me 'Kyle'?"

"I am not sure." Zay admitted as she moved to the door and Shriv followed. "I am still bit unsettled."

"Understandable. You went through a hell of grief and mental abuse that would have broken most." Kyle reassured her. "We are here for you, girl. Your mother could he a hard woman, but she was always fair. She was liked. She couldn't stay with us, and we wouldn't go back to the Rebellion or Republic after what happened, but she was liked." He held out a hand that she took and gave it a squeeze that she returned. "If you have to be formal, call me 'Masterblade Katarn. If not? Just say 'Katarn'. I am the only one aboard by that name."

"'Masterblade'?" Zay asked. "That is a Bladeborn rank?" Kyle nodded. "High, I am assuming." Shriv nodded, but did not relax.

"We only have four ranks. Initiate, Bladeborn, Masterblade and Grandmaster." Kyle explained as he released her hand and started off. Zay and Shriv followed. Zay noted a brown armored Cathar who stood near a cross corridor. The cat man held a staff with the ease of long familiarity. He did not speak, he moved to follow them. A guard. Zay eyed Shriv who shrugged and waved for her to follow Kyle.

"You knew my mom." Zay fought hard to ignore the guard behind her. It was only expected that the Bladeborn would not trust. "I only found a message from her recently that said if she died, to seek you all. I didn't even know you existed until then. You know me, clearly."

"I do. I was there when you were born." Kyle replied as he led the way through a dizzying set of odd looking corridors. "I met your mom and dad during a really big mess. It was a rescue that turned into a castaway situation. We helped them, they helped us. Afterwards? We stayed away. It was better for everyone if we were not butting heads with Skywalker." He looked pensive.

"Do you know what happened to him?" Zay asked. "I talked with the General before I found Mom's message. Or the time release came due." She made a face. "Mom was a planner."

"One of the best." Kyle reassured her. "Zay, whatever happens, we Bladeborn have no intention of denying you any choice whatsoever. Your mom was a friend, an ally. One of the few in this galaxy that we knew we could trust. She stood with us against Jade and we will never forget that." He smiled at her. "We may not always agree on things, but know you are considered family." _He_ made a face. "That is not always good thing."

"Mom was vague but she implied that I had siblings." Zay said very softly and Kyle stopped short. "Do I?"

"The short answer is: Yes, you do." Kyle was just as soft. "A brother and a sister." Zay stared at him as Shriv moved to flank her, offering support. The Masterblade shook his head slowly. "Neither is what anyone would call 'functional'. They are good people, but limited."

"Limited how?" Zay did not quite demand that. The Cathar stiffened, but Kyle waved at him.

"She has _every_ right to anger, Zon." The Masterblade was not quite commanding, but the Cathar nodded and relaxed. "Your brother and sister are physically your age, but mentally? Neither will grow past about five years old. No matter what we have tried, they will not develop further. Even the Force has limits." Zay staggered and Shriv was beside her, offering support as Kyle nodded. "Your kin are not the only broken ones we found there. We are all angry, Zay Versio. Every one of us. What we found in that place… That laboratory made by sick minds for a sick purpose… We destroyed every vestige of the place and it still haunts us." He looked away, face sick. "I served the Empire. I fought in the Rebellion and I have fought the enemies of our Order for a long time. Even with all of that, what we found in that place haunts _my_ dreams to this day." His tone was barely a whisper, but it carried. "I don't think Jade herself understood what was happening there. I don't think she had enough free will to consider alternatives." He shook his head. "I am still going to kill her if I ever get the chance."

"Make it hurt." For just a moment, Zay felt an icy calm but then it faded as Kyle nodded.

"If I get the chance? Believe me I will." Kyle promised. "For now, though? We need to see about you. We cannot join the Republic or ally with it. There is too much baggage."

"What happened?" Zay asked, confused. "I mean, you were working for the Republic." Shriv stiffened, but Kyle just nodded.

"I was." The one time Rebel aligned mercenary said quietly. "I made a hell of a mess." He sighed deeply. "I thought I could handle anything they threw at me and Jan paid the price for my arrogance. When I fell to the Dark Side, she didn't give up on me." Both Zay and Shriv went totally still and Kyle nodded. "I fell. I went totally crazy after a Dark Jedi taunted me that he had killed my father and stuck his head on a pike. I killed him then and there." He slumped a bit. "I walked right into Jerec's hands and he played me like a fiddle. He got me so angry I didn't know which way was up. Then Jerec tried to enslave me and used Jan to befuddle me further. I struck Jan down and I didn't even think about it." He looked at the floor. "My anger was a powerful thing and I had no way to control it. I am just thankful that I didn't kill Jan when I hit her. Then again? Jerec was playing me. He wanted a slave. Jan was leverage against me." He smiled a bit grimly. "Best laid plans of monsters and madmen _really_ went astray with that."

"If you fell..." Shriv had his hand on his blaster and Zay tensed, but neither Kyle nor the Cathar reacted. "How can we trust you?"

"Don't." Kyle replied, shrugging as Zay stared at him, her mouth falling open. "Trust _Jan_. She is a far better person than I ever will be. I knew that from almost the moment I met her. She is Grandmaster for a _reason_. I would never have the control needed to lead such a group and I know it. Give me a tactical problem? An enemy to fight? A mission? I can do that. Leading such an eclectic group? Not so much."

"If you cut her down..." Zay said slowly. "I am assuming with a lightsaber." Kyle nodded. "How did she survive?"

"I didn't hit her cleanly. I am honestly not sure how I missed a vital strike, but I am glad I did." Kyle replied. "Jerec probably wanted her alive, but not hale. He wanted me as a slave. He assumed she was worthless and useless after I hurt her. His mistake." The Masterblade's smile was feral now.

"If she was hurt that badly..." Zay started and broke off as Kyle nodded.

"Jan was paralyzed from the neck down by my strike." Kyle explained. Zay and Shriv stared at him, equally dumbfounded. And Kyle smiled a bit more naturally. "You do know where we were, right?"

"The Valley of the Jedi." Shriv said very slowly and Kyle nodded. "And…?"

"And never let it be said that the Force does not have a very _strange_ sense of humor."


	10. Chapter 10

**Cuts**

25 years in the past, 5 years after the battle of Endor

planet Ruusan

It didn't hurt.

It should have hurt, but it didn't.

Jan Orrs was in shock. This day had just gotten worse and worse. They had found the Valley but the Dark Jedi had gotten here first. She had been taken off guard by stormtroopers. As good as the assault troops of the Empire were, they hadn't really had a chance against her, but they had held her in place long enough for one of Jerec's Dark Jedi to arrive and that had been that. Jan had expected to die right then and there, but instead, the woman in black had disarmed her, bound her and paraded her to the crazy woman's master like a tame bantha. She had thought the Dark Jedi the scariest things she had seen until Kyle had arrived. She had known something had changed when they had visited his father's old homestead on Sulon and found an ancient map to an ancient treasure/tomb, but she hadn't had any idea. Seeing him carrying a lightsaber had been enough of a shock. Seeing him _using_ one and the Force so well had been even more of a shock. She had thought she had known the man after all of what they had gone through during the Rebellion. But then…

Kyle had killed the half man called 'Maw'. Just slashed once and killed the Dark Jedi as if it was nothing. She had seen Kyle's face when he had and the raw fury there had shaken her. That wasn't the man she knew. But Jerec had all but crowed! He had thrown Jan down in between his minions and Kyle and Jan had hoped. But then a green flash had blinded her and she was here.

Wherever the hell 'here' was.

"You are in no danger." A kind female voice entered Jan's awareness. She tried to rise, to sit up, to do anything, but nothing happened. She couldn't move! "Hold on." A flash of blue and Jan was suddenly able to move. She sat up, staring around wildly at…

Nothing.

She sat on a featureless gray plain. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but gray. Gray ground, lighter gray sky. The only thing not gray was the woman in brown armor who sat beside her. Jan went utterly still as the woman met her eyes. She did not know this woman, so why was she so familiar? She had black hair and the most piercing green eyes that Jan had ever seen. Her face was lined with both sorrow and laughter.

"You don't know me." The other woman reassured her while Jan tried to find her wits. "My name is Nia. Nia Korr. You are?" She inquired politely.

"Jan Orrs." Jan said automatically. "Um... What just happened?" She couldn't see anything but the plain she was sitting on.

"Eh..." Nia made a face. "The usual. Most Dark Force users are almost always the same. 'Bow before me'. 'The Dark Side is all powerful'. Yadda, yadda, yadda." Her tone was so mocking that Jan had to smile. "So many of them think power alone makes them mighty. It doesn't."

"Kyle hit me." Jan could not resists a shiver and Nia reached out with a slow hand to touch her hand.

"He did, but you are not dead." Nia was quick to calm Jan. "That idiot Dark Jedi thought that pushing your friend was a good idea. It wasn't. He has no idea how skilled Kyle Katarn is or how powerful he gets when angry. You do."

"I..." Jan stared down at herself. Wait a second! Why was _she_ clad in brown armor? Armor that matched Nia's? She turned scared eyes to Nia who took her hand in a gentle grip. "Am I dead?"

"You are not dead." Nia reassured her. "Not yet. Very close, but not yet. This is in a mind. You are badly hurt, but you are not alone, Jan Orrs. We cannot interfere but so much, but you are needed. If Kyle Katarn takes the power of the Valley in anger, I do not think there is any power in this galaxy that can stop him. Luke Skywalker might be able to, he might not. No one else has a chance, and even Luke may not. Luke was a farmer before he learned about the Force, Kyle was a _soldier_." Nia shook her head. "Power alone cannot win this. Love may not be able to. I can hope, but that is all I have. Hope."

"What hope?" Jan all but begged. "If Kyle loses, he dies, Jerec wins and the Valley will be used for evil. If Kyle wins? He is so angry..." She shivered. "It won't end well, will it?" Nia shook her head.

"The Emperor himself might not have been able to face that kind of power. You need to stop him." Nia said firmly and Jan stared at her.

"Me? Um… How?" Jan asked, clearly wary of the obviously insane woman. "I do not have the Force."

"Correction." Nia smiled, but it was more sad than happy. "The Force is in all things. You had it. You _did not_ have enough of the Force to train. Now you do." Jan felt her eyes bulge and Nia sighed. "I do not know how it happened, but you are currently lying next to what is likely the single most potent store of Force energy in the Galaxy." She shook her head, face turning rueful. "Ashla has a very odd sense of humor at times, but I do not find this funny. Not at all."

"'Ashla'?" Far from enlightened, if anything, Jan was even more confused.

"A very long time ago, even by galactic standards, the Light Side of the Force was known as Ashla." Nia explained. "Bogan was the Dark Side and it was very, very dark even by your standards. None of the Dark Jedi you face today would have any inkling of how powerful Bogan masters were. Thank god." She said fervently.

"I..." Jan swallowed hard. "I am no Jedi."

"That is not a bad thing." Nia smiled at the younger woman and Jan felt her fear lessen. "Fear is nothing bad, Jan Orrs. Even the Sith understand that fear is a survival instinct. They use it to fuel their anger and their power. The Jedi strive to pass beyond fear, to reach a state of oneness with the Force. I am neither Sith nor Jedi although I trained with both. I was, am, a member of an order of warriors whose name translates into modern language as 'Bladeborn'."

"You… _were_?" Jan inquired carefully.

"I died, Jan Orrs." Nia said quietly. "I died a very long time before the events that forged the Valley into what it is. Before the spirits of Jedi and Sith were trapped there." Jan stared at her and Nia bowed her head. "I have my duty however and death does not absolve me from that. I have done many horrible things in the name of duty. Perhaps today, I can tilt the balance more to Ashla than to Bogan. I hope I can. You did not deserve this."

"If you are dead… Then how are you here?" Jan asked. "And where _is_ here?" She asked, looking around.

"I am here because my oaths hold me even past death. As for where we are? This is a representation of the mind of a huge mass of sentient nanites." Nia replied calmly and Jan stared at her, horror mixing with awe. "And yes, they are aware that you are here. They brought you here so we could talk. Mere moments will pass in the real world but we can talk as long as we need to. There is much to say, but the basis is this: Kyle Katarn needs you now more than ever. His love for you will drive him to depths of anger that even the Dark Jedi cannot fathom. The galaxy itself may fall before him unless you stop him."

"How can _I_ possibly stop Kyle?" Jan asked, dejected.

"Not alone."

* * *

The real world

Kyle's lightsaber slashed through the double white lightsaber guard as if it wasn't there. The insane Twilek gave a screech. His cry of 'Ooo, you are an angry one' gurgled off as he tried to put his throat back together and failed. The the mad creature snarled and summoned the Force to heal himself, but Kyle struck again and this time, the blow went deep. Bok fell to lie still and even a Dark Jedi would not rise from such a wound. The dark haired human paid no mind to the woman who lay crumpled next to a pillar as he focused on the mound where his enemy was hiding. He could feel the Force bubbling in the earth as Jerec sought to tame the incredible power that seethed in the very dirt of this place.

"Jerec! Face me, coward!" Kyle snarled, his rage given full voice as he kicked the fallen Twilek.

A burst of raw energy flared from the mound and dirt flew every which way as the golden glowing Jerec blew his way out of it to land in front of…

What the hell?

A woman in silver armor stood between Kyle and Jerec. She hadn't run in between them. She hadn't jumped. One moment, there was no one there, the next an apparition in odd looking silver armor stood ready. It was ancient, that armor and covered her from her toes to the visored helmet that hid her face. Was that a _sword_ that hung at her waist? Not a lightsaber, a steel sword! Where had she come from? Kyle could not see her face, but the sheer power that radiated off her to his Force senses was daunting to say the least. Kyle barely noticed, his fury still fanned even after carving through Yun and Bok along with dozens, maybe hundreds of troops. Now, at long last, his father's murderer stood before him, his face wary as the blind Dark Jedi scrutinized the newcomer with senses far beyond human sight.

"Who are _you?_" The Dark Jedi demanded as Kyle moved to go around her. She ignored him! She moved to stay between Kyle and Jerec! What the?

"Get out of my way!" Kyle snarled. "I will kill him!"

"Why?" The voice form the woman was calm, but barely repressed violence sang in her tone. Also a deep sadness. "Why must you kill this being?" She inquired.

She wasn't being mocking. She sounded honest. Curious. Did he know the voice? It sounded kind of like Jan, but Jan lay still next to the pillar. The Force said she was breathing and Kyle stiffened a little. He had done that. Cut her down. He hadn't even thought about it. She had been in his way, an impediment. He had killed her, but she was alive. Somehow. Jerec stood there, clearly wary of the newcomer as Kyle struggled with himself.

"He killed my father." Kyle said finally. "He killed Qu Rahn. He… He made me kill Jan." He swallowed hard.

"He did not make you do that." The woman corrected him grimly. "He may have pushed you, but you did that on your own." She shook her armored head. "She is not dead, Kyle Katarn. She forgave you."

"What?" Kyle stammered, stunned out of his anger and Jerec acted. The Force was an arrow thrown at the distracted Katarn, but both men went utterly still as the woman's sword simply appeared in her hand and batted the Force bolt aside! Both men jerked back. Whatever this woman was, she was no Jedi or Dark Jedi. He had no idea what she was, except for on thing: _strong_ _in the Force_.

"That was rude." The woman said sternly. "Just stand there for a moment, moron. The adults are talking. We will get to you in a moment." She turned her back on Jerec! Kyle's strangled protest fell flat as Jerec stabbed out with his lightsaber and the red energy blade was parried by the steel one! That wasn't possible! Was it? The woman tossed the blind Dark Jedi away with a negligent flip of both wrists. Jerec landed on his feet, but was clearly confused. Jerec shook her head as the Dark Jedi tried to understand what had just happened. "I said, we will get to you in a moment, Jerec. Just stand there and be a good little Dark Side fool, okay?"

"No one talks to me that way!" Jerec snapped as the Force flew from his hands in two bolts of sheer power. _Again_, she batted the bolts aside. The powerful energy obliterated two inoffensive statues and did nothing else. It was hard to say who was more surprised by that, Jerec or Kyle.

"Who are you?" Kyle asked as he deactivated his saber. He shook his head. "I... I messed up."

"You did." The silver armored woman agreed. "Don't lower your defenses." She warned as Jerec pulsed with stolen power. Everything he threw, she deflected and he was clearly losing his temper as she just stood there, unscathed. "He is going to be stupid. It is what his kind do. The question is, what will _you_ do?"

"No." A stunned voice from the side had everyone looking to where Jerec's last servant, the Dark Jedi known as Sariss stood hidden half behind an ancient statue, face ashen as she stared at the woman in silver armor. "No! Not _you!_"

"Sariss!" Jerec command. "Kill this pest!"

"You can try." The silver armored woman said as Sariss shook her head. "This won't end well for you and you know it." That was stern. "Traitor."

Both men jerked at the sheer hate in the silver armored woman's tone and Sariss recoiled a step, but firmed up her stance.

"I..." Sariss swallowed hard and the master swords-woman of Jarec's Dark Jedi drew her lightsaber. "I had no choice."

"You had a choice." The silver armored woman snapped, fury that matched any Dark Jedi or Sith Lord fanned. "We gave you a choice and you scorned it. Where is it, Sariss?" She demanded as she advanced on the female Dark Jedi who shook her head. "Don't make me beat it out of you, brat. You know I will and enjoy it."

_That_ wasn't Jan. Not a chance. The sheer hate and power in the voice was-

"_NO!_" Sariss screamed as Jerec, enraged beyond all measure, dashed at the woman, lightsaber held ready. What happened next defined description. The strange armored woman moved, that was clear. But how? And doing what? Impossible to say. A twist, a spin, a slice, all of these and none. One moment, she stood with her back to him, the next, his _hand_ was lying on the ground alongside his saber hilt as it extinguished. For her part, she shook blood off her blade and held it ready. Jerec snarled and fell back, his saber flying to his other hand as the woman sneered at him. For her part, Sariss was all but begging as she held her saber ready bur clearly she did not want to fight the silver armored woman. "Istara! No!"

"Istara? I know that name." Jerec stiffened and then he slowly shook his head. "Bladeborn."

"Do yourself a favor and shut up, Jerec." The armored woman snapped as she advanced on Sariss. "You have your own part to play in this and it is coming to an end. But you." She snapped at Sariss as the dark robed woman took a slow step back. For his part, Kyle was stunned. Sariss was a very powerful Dark Jedi, skilled with the Force and the saber equally. Darkness manifested. What could _scare_ her? "Where? Is? It?"

"I don't know!" Sariss said quickly. "I took it to the Emperor! He rewarded me! He said he would safeguard it! That is all I know!"

For a long, long moment, the silver armored woman just stared at the dark robed one and Sariss swallowed hard in the silence. Jerec sneered, but Kyle just waited.

"We would have welcomed you, girl." The silver woman said after the pause had stretched so long as to be uncomfortable. "Your skill was and is undeniable, but your greed undid you. You cost us a great deal and your payment comes due today." Her visor turned to Kyle. "You seek vengeance?" She asked slowly.

"I did." Kyle pursed his lips. "I thought I could stop them alone. I was wrong."

"You fought well." The silver woman allowed. "A bit brash, but not too bad. If you fall, this will not end well for anyone." She warned.

"What do I do?"Kyle asked sadly. "I… I don''t know what to do."

"Give in to your hate!" Jerec sneered. "Or be weak and pathetic like-" He broke off with a gasp as a lightsaber ignited behind him but before he could move, it had skewered him! The white blade was one of Bok's. But the Twilek lay still.

"Weak like me?" All eyes turned to where Jan lay, her eyes open and her face set. She was glowing with Force power and the glow that had surrounded Jerec was fading! A look of concentration came over her face and the _other_ white blade rose to menace Jerec who was still on his feet even with a lightsaber piercing him! Sariss gasped and started forward, but the silver woman blocked her way. "You will kill no more, monster!"

"Jan..." Kyle said very softly and then he slowly bowed his head. "I failed you. I am sorry."

"We will talk after the battle is done." Jan was calm as the blade that impaled Jerec flew from him to hover in mid-air. Both blades spun and reversed, as if held by an invisible swords _woman_. Was that Shien style? Kyle stared at Jan and then at the blades. Then, he smiled.

"You have failed, Jerec." Kyle Katarn said as he ignited his lightsaber again, moving to stand by the hovering swords. "I am not a Jedi. I do not know what I am, but I do not hate you. You have my pity."

"Save your pity for yourself! I will have the Valley! The galaxy will be mine!" The power of the Valley had completely faded from Jerec now but he was far from cowed as the silver woman advanced on Sariss who retreated. "Sariss! Obey!"

Sariss tried, she really did, but she was overmatched as she tried to dash past the silver armored woman. A clash of blade and lightsaber and then another and she was forced back.

"She is busy, you silly brat." The woman Sariss called 'Istara' said sternly. "Go on and die while I 'speak' to this traitor." Then she attacked and Sariss, for all of her evil, skill and power, was forced back again and again by flashing steel. Sariss was very good, this Istara woman was _far_ better.

Jerec snarled and threw his saber at Jan! The woman didn't move as Kyle dashed to stand between her and the saber, deflecting it with ease. Then the sort of Jedi stared as the white blades charged Jerec who could do nothing but fall back himself even as his saber found his sole remaining hand. Kyle stared as the boogeyman who had defeated Jedi, Sith and mundane enemies by the score was struck again and again. Bok had been insane. Cloaking himself with the Force and striking with only his mad cackling as warning, the mad Twilek had come close to slaying Kyle a few times. But this… This was way beyond anything Kyle had ever seen. It wasn't just the sabers! The Force flew from the invisible wielder to slam into the Dark Jedi.

It was only a matter of time. Sariss and Jerec both cried out at the same time as both were struck. Sariss by steel, and Jerec by a white lightsaber. Sariss fell to lie still, only to have the silver woman cut her head off. Jerec fell to his knees, his saber falling away from his good hand. He growled at Kyle and the still woman on the ground.

"You want me dead? Do it! Give in to your hate!" Jerec stared as Kyle raised his hand and the Dark Jedi's lightsaber flew to it. He smiled as Kyle stared at the lightsaber. "I killed your father."

"Yes, you did." Jan said from where she lay. "Kyle? He is yours. Do what you must. Meet your fate with [Honor]." The word was not in a language he knew, but the gist was clear.

Kyle nodded and tossed the lightsaber to land at Jerec's side. For a long moment, there was silence as the silver woman turned to eye the trio. She bowed to them both!

"I may be fallen. I may be evil. I may be wrong in so many ways." Kyle said as Jerec turned his blind eyes to his saber and then at Kyle who took a ready stance. "But I will not be you."

Jerec smiled widely and jumped to his feet, his saber igniting as it found his hand. He charged but Kyle was ready and the outcome was clear even before the Dark Jedi started to swing. His face still held the same rictus of rage as his body fell, bisected and the last vestiges of power from the Valley flew from him to Jan who sighed as his body vaporized.

"It is done." Jan closed her eyes. "I… I am tired, Istara." Kyle spun to stare at the fallen woman, his face ashen, but the silver woman was there, kneeling beside her.

"It is all right, Jan." Istara reassured the other as she laid a hand on jan's brow and Jan's eyes closed. "Rest in the arms of Ashla, Grandmaster. We have this."

Kyle jerked as a dozen forms in brown armor appeared around the area. All held swords or other melee weapons instead of lightsabers. _All bowed to Jan!_

"Uh..." Kyle deactivated his saber and bowed his head. "What do I do?" He asked Istara who looked at him. "I am not stupid. I made a mess. I hope to be able to clean it up." He shrugged as she stared at him. "It seems I have a lot to learn."

"You will go far if you maintain that demeanor." Istara sounded bemused. "I too know what it is to fall and come back. You did far less than I did, but there is hope now. For the first time in years, for the first time since Sariss killed their Grandmaster and fled with his sword, the Bladeborn have a leader again."

"Jan?" Kyle asked as he fell to his knees beside Jan. Istara nodded "Then I stand with her. And you." He bowed his head as the brown armored forms closed in, some sheathing their weapons to pull out medical gear.

"I will be watching." Istara's voice was warm as she vanished.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hard kindness**

The present

"I..." Zay swallowed hard as Jan finished talking. The Grandmaster looked at her and Zay slumped. "I do not know what to say."

Kyle had led the pair into a larger room, one that was clearly a classroom of sorts, if odd in any number of ways. It had teaching terminals set up at desks around the area, but no other classroom that Zay had ever seen had a sparring ring in the middle of it! There were also chairs, some sized for many different species, arrayed around the walls and Kyle had led them to those while he talked. The walls were the same biometal as the rest of the ship she had seen and Jan had been there along with Catherine. The two warriors had taken over for Kyle and the man had vanished as quickly as he had appeared. Shriv had wanted to stand but a cough from Jan had him sitting. Catherine sat on the floor next to Zay's seat and no one sane was going to argue with her.

"You can say anything you want, just try not to be rude." Jan reassured Zay. "I am not saying I am happy about this." The chair bound warrior said with a frown. "But it is what it is. Railing at life for being unfair is pointless. Life doesn't care."

"Doesn't stop a lot of people." Zay sounded far older than her years for a moment and Catherine patted her knee. "I… I am sorry?" She offered. Jan looked at her and Zay flushed. "Not for what happened, although I do feel sympathy. You have clearly adapted and are not to be taken lightly now." Both Catherine and Jan smiled at that. Zay smiled back but continued. "But… I do not know how I feel." She admitted. "Part of me feels revulsion." She admitted. Shriv looked horrified, but Jan just nodded.

"There are days when I wake up and scream at my body." The chair-bound Grandmaster reassured the distraught girl. "The fact that you know your feelings is head and shoulders above most. You do not consider me ugly or deformed, do you?"

"No! You are not ugly! Just different!" Zay snapped with a great deal of heat and then paled, but Jan just smiled again.

"Some do." Jan made a face. "Then again, wisdom is rarer than it should be. Foolishness is always easier and almost every sentient race I have met is lazy in some way."

"Well, some people are idiots." Shriv said without heat. "I have met people who called me ugly for not having hair like a human." Zay stared at him, aghast and the Duros shrugged. "I did not pay them much mind."

"Good. Don't." Jan heaved a sigh. "Well, Tavion says are as healed as we can make you, Zay. How do you feel?"

"I feel so much better, I have no words." Zay replied, still clearly upset, but moving beyond it. "All I can really say is this: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." She bowed in her seat to Jan who smiled at her.

"Tavion is very good at what she does." Jan replied and then she grimaced. "Her bedside manner takes some getting used to." Zay nodded fervently and Jan's frown eased. "That said? She delivered you, so she feels a bit indebted to your mother. We all do." The Grandmaster looked away. "We failed Iden. We could not help her as we should have and it cost her and Del their lives. I am truly sorry, Zay."

"She would not blame you." Zay said softly. "She said something in the message that I do not understand. Something that she said was for the Bladeborn." Jan and Catherine shared a look, but remained silent. Shriv jerked but Zay shook her head. "She told me to keep that part to myself, Shriv. I wanted to tell you, but she ordered me not to."

"I… see. Should I leave?" Shriv didn't want to, his love for Zay was clear. But the warrior also understood all too well about having too much information. Such could kill just as easily as having too little.

"No." Jan assured him. "You are Zay's next of kin and she will need you when she meets her brother and sister. They tug at the heartstrings of all of us."

"That bad?" Zay asked in a tiny voice. Jan nodded and Catherine bowed her head. "I see."

"They are good kids, Zay." Jan's tone hardened. "But that is all they are. All they will ever be. Jade has so much to answer for. What she did to me was bad enough. What she did to Iden..." The Grandmaster actually looked away as she trailed off. She chose her words with care when she spoke gain. "I will say that she was never rough with Iden or with me. She wanted my DNA as well as information that I had. I could not stop her taking my reproduction organs. I _could_ stop her from ripping information out of my mind."

"_She what?_" Shriv and Zay both chorused, appalled.

"She didn't want me dead." Jan said softly. "She wanted my DNA but also the information on the Bladeborn."

"May I approach?" Zay asked and Jan nodded. Zay rose from her seat to stride to the wheelchair. The young woman knelt and held out her hand to Jan's face. Jan smiled and nodded again. Zay laid her palm on Jan's cheek, a gentle caress on the only part of the woman's body that would feel it. Her eyes glistened but she was not crying. When she spoke, it was not in Basic. The words made no sense to Shriv or clearly to Zay, but both Jan and Catherine stilled as Zay bowed her head. "Mom did not say what that means. She wanted me to memorize them, so I did."

"And then Jade attacked you." Jan's face was a terrible thing. "Catherine! I want to hold her and I _can't._"

"I can." Catherine rose and stepped to where Zay stood. She enfolded the girl in her arms and bowed her head. "What you just said is in ancient Tythonese, Zay. No one today outside the Bladeborn will have any idea what that means. We are a bit stubborn about holding onto traditions."

"You don't say!" Zay kept her hand against Jan's cheek as the Grandmaster clearly struggled with herself. "What does it mean?"

"It is three phrases. One means 'Sister of pain'." Catherine said softly. "The second? 'Hope through horror' and the last is..." She swallowed. "'The debt will be paid'."

"'Sister'?" Zay nodded slowly and then smiled. "That makes you my aunt." Both Bladeborn stared at her as Zay moved her hand, stroking Jan's cheek. "Whatever I have to do, whatever I can do, Shriv is my family, but so are _you!_" Shriv sighed and spoke under his breath something about 'here we go'.

"It doesn't work like that, Zay." Jan said weakly but Zay was having none of it.

"I don't _care!_" Zay snapped, her hand still gently caressing the Grandmaster's cheek as Jan seemed to be fighting not to cry.

"Zay, you do not understand and you will not." Catherine did not try to pull her away from Jan who seemed at a loss for words. "We are not going to involve you in our messes. You needed help, we gave it."

"And I thank you for that." Zay nodded to Catherine but her focus was on Jan. "But _I_ can help Jan and I _will_." Steel would have shattered under her tone and Shriv just shook his head, remaining quiet.

"Zay. We have tried everything." Jan was in control again but her eyes still glistened. "So many things, all failed. Kyle and I went to Jade, because she had access to the best Imperial tech. We didn't say who I was or what but she guessed, drugged me and spirited me away before Kyle could react. He did not take that well."

"There is another way." Zay said firmly enough that everyone stared at her. Shriv spoke up before anyone else could.

"Zay, I know you are hurting. I am too. But they _had_ to have tried everything." The Duros looked at Jan who nodded.

"Mechanical replacement, drug therapy, gene therapy, many different traditions of healing, some Force based, others so different as to be unthinkable. I tried them all." Jan admitted. "There is too much gone, too much vaporized by Kyle's lightsaber. A centimeter higher and it would have melted through my lower brain and killed me instantly. That I can move my head at all is a result of years of therapy and the Force. The damage is irreparable. I can use the Force to talk and move about in various ways, but I am stuck in this chair for the rest of my life."

"No, you are not." Zay said firmly and Jan stared at her. Zay was looking at her, but the younger woman's eyes were far away. "Mom was _seriously_ sneaky." She shook her head as Jan eyed her. Zay turned to Shriv. "You remember my favorite story as a child? The one with the cave?"

"How can I forget?" Shriv asked a bit plaintively. "You had to be told parts of that story every night!" Both of the Bladeborn stared at him as Zay smirked. "Zay!"

"I loved that story, Shriv." Zay said very quietly. "I loved anything that dealt with my hero, Leia Organa." She gave a sob and Catherine gave her a squeeze. "I was just a little kid. I didn't understand anything about what was really going on except that she was a princess and a hero and all." She sighed. "I did a lot of research, Shriv. You know that."

"Zay!" Shriv protested. "It was a child's story!"

"Shriv." Zay corrected him grimly. "It _happened._" The Duros went totally still as Zay nodded "When I was in school, I had access to a lot more files than I had as a kid. I found some information in odd places. I took it to Mom and she…. Well… She did not react as I expected. Mom made me swear never to speak of it. She said some things were far too dangerous to ever see the light of day."

"That is far too true. If she made you swear, Zay..." Jan stared, but broke off as Zay turned a huge smile to her. "What?"

"She made me swear and I quote 'I understand the costs and will only divulge this to family if one needs help beyond anything else available.'" Zay said softly. "You and Shriv are family and _you_ need help."

"Zay!" Shriv sighed. "Whatever you may have found, that planet does not exist!"

"It does." Zay retorted and Shriv stared at her. "It is not in any star charts for darn good reason. What is hidden there is far too powerful. The Bladeborn can guard it. I can't. It healed him and her! Hell, it healed _Vader!_"

"No." Catherine swallowed hard and Zay spun to stare at her. Was the Bladeborn warrior scared? Her face smoothed. "Zay! Tell me true! Is it the _splinter?_"

"That is what I think." Zay was confused, but firm. "It can help Jan."

"Catherine, what 'splinter'?" Jan asked when Catherine did not speak. The woman holding Zay hugged her tighter but Zay did not move. "Catherine?"

"I… I can't." Catherine all but cried that. "I want to help, Jan and I _can't!_" Jan stared at her and comprehension dawned.

"Oh. This bears on your past. Doesn't it? No one here is cleared for that but me." Jan said slowly and Catherine nodded, her head moving in savage fashion. "Be calm, Catherine. We can figure this out without cheating."

"I want to help." Catherine all but pleaded and Zay wrapped her arms around the armored woman Catherine started to _cry_. What could make this hard and tough warrior woman cry?

"You can, Masterblade." Jan reassured the crying woman. "But for right now? Zay, what 'splinter'?"

That was a command and Zay nodded to the Grandmaster of the Bladeborn.

"The Splinter of the Mind's Eye."

* * *

Later

The conference room was not large and it was _packed_. Catherine, Karl and Jaden stood beside Zay and Shriv. Brown armored forms surrounded them. Thirty Bladeborn stood every which way, some human, others common and not to common aliens. All were intent as Jan spoke to a hologram of Desann. Kyle stood beside her, but had remained silent throughout.

"...and we need to make sure the planet remains secure." The chair-bound Grandmaster said firmly. "Whatever my own desires, the Order has duties and obligations that must be met. Sulon will not fall. Captain Eclipse?" She turned and another hologram of an older woman in a brown uniform that looked almost Imperial but not quite nodded to her. "Any sign of additional First Order?"

"No, Grandmaster Orrs." The woman shook her head. "I am patrolling the outskirts." She smiled coldly. "Masterblade Catherine made a hell of an impression." More than one Bladeborn smiled just as coldly as she did. "Maybe they got the hint."

"Maybe." Jan allowed. "But we cannot get complacent. Not now. No matter what, I am working to get at least two squadrons worth of fighters and a squadron of bombers here." The other woman looked interested and Jan nodded. "It is bit convoluted, but I can get some older designs upgraded to the best new tech. Sulon does not have the infrastructure to support more than that and three squadrons is pushing both that and their militia personnel even if we can provide pilots."

"If I stay here, you will only need one fighter and one bomber squadron." Captain Eclipse said quietly. Jan looked at her and the old woman sighed. "I… I hoped. But there is nothing. He is gone."

"We do not know that." Jan said sternly. "We will not stop looking for him, Juno."

"I know, Grandmaster, but it is a big galaxy and he has had lots of time to disappear." Captain Eclipse slumped. "If he wanted to be found, he would have been by now. I can hope he is alive, but… After what the Republic did to him, I don't blame him for not coming back." Hate that matched any Sith Lord's sang in her tone. Then again, if half of what Zay had heard about her was true, one-time _Imperial_ Captain Juno Eclipse had once served Darth Vader! Add what Zay had heard in passing? The woman had _serious_ cause to hate the New Republic.

"Nor do we." Jan reassured her. "If we find him or any trace, you will be the first to know. We are not his enemies. Hopefully, he knows that if we meet again."

"Hopefully." The woman saluted the Grandmaster who nodded. "I will remain here. The Rogue Shadow needs some maintenance and I need some downtime."

"Good." Jan smiled wide. "Then maybe Tavion will stop yelling at me." A chuckle swept the room as Tavion huffed from the side. The healer was smiling though.

"Unlikely." The Captain smiled and her hologram vanished.

Jan turned back to the saurian hologram. Desann had been smiling at the byplay but now, he sobered. "What do you need, Desann?"

"We have most of what we need already on planet." Desann said slowly. "_You_ will need a recon specialist."

"Frankly, I do not know what we are going to need." Jan admitted, looking at Kyle who looked thoughtful. "I do not know anything about this world that Zay describes."

"It isn't Circarpous IV." Kyle said with a frown. "I have been to that world. It is nothing like the story describes." Zay frowned, but Kyle waved at her. "That is not surprising. Say what you will about Skywalker, his sister _knew_ about keeping secrets. The fewer people who knew anything about it, the better. Most of the people who might have known anything about a diplomatic Rebellion mission at that time would have been on Hoth." Zay looked at Shriv who might have been a statue. "You don't know." It was not a question but Shriv shook his head anyway.

"I tried to forget everything about that frozen hell for so long. Tried to forgive myself for not being there, fighting beside them." Shriv said softly as Zay laid her hand on his arm. "For so long, I just wanted to move on. Now I gotta remember. I… I don't think I ever heard anything." The Duros said softly. "I focused on my job."

"No one here is blaming you for wanting to forget such a horror." Kyle reassured him. "That leaves only two beings who might know anything about the planet however." Zay stared at him and Kyle nodded. "R2-D2 and C-3PO."

"They were there in the story and from what I understand, they were partnered with Luke and Leia at the time." Zay mused and then frowned. "R2-D2 went with Rey to find Skywalker and C-3PO was with Organa." She slumped. "I… How do we walk up and _ask_ such a thing?"

"Very carefully." Kyle warned. "The Republic ignored us for the most part. 'Out of sight, out of mind' and all of that. Skywalker was rather steamed about the Valley, but I was not about to let _anyone_ try that again. Jedi or no."

"What did you do?" Zay asked as Shriv groaned. Kyle smiled a cold hard smile and Zay shuddered. "Do I want to know?"

"He blew it up." Shriv said in a monotone as every Bladeborn nodded.

"How do you blow up a _valley?_" Zay asked, confused.

"Jerec had deployed_ a lot_ of troops. Almost a regiment's worth. They had _lots_ of demo and I used it all. Buried the entire place under several million tons of more rock. " Kyle shrugged as Shriv put a hand to his face. "Hey, it is not my fault. Skywalker ignored my warning. He had to land there. It wasn't my fault a rock landed on his X-Wing."

"_Four statues_ landed on his X-Wing." Jan corrected as Zay groaned. the chair-bound Bladeborn was smiling, but she was also shaking her head. "Don't even try telling me that wasn't intentional. You broke his ship so he couldn't chase us."

"And if I did?" Kyle inquired, his face artfully innocent. "I thought Jedi were not supposed to get that angry."

"You are _bad_, Kyle Katarn." Jan heaved a sigh. "All that aside, if there _is_ a splinter of the Kaiburr Crystal intact, then all _kinds_ of people will be seeking such now. Jade alone could do insane amounts of damage with such a thing. Let alone that fool Kylo Ren."

"I always thought Kyber crystals were what Jedi and Sith used in their lightsabers." Shriv mused. Jan nodded. "Different thing?"

"The Death Star also used Kyber crystals to focus its beams." Jan explained. "The Kaiburr is different. More. From some accounts, it is alive."

"Ouch." Shriv swallowed hard. "Um… And this could help you?"

"Maybe." Jan allowed. "I-" She broke off as an alarm sounded. "Report!" She snapped at thin air.

"Grandmaster!" A voice Zay did not know spoke up from a wall com, worry mixed with anticipation. "Hyperspace traces! Several of them."

"First Order?" Jan demanded as the Bladeborn started to run from the room.

"Negative." The other paused and then spoke again, clipped and professional. "They just identified themselves. It is a Republic Fleet under the command of..." He gulped. "...Admiral Keyan Farlander." He paused and spoke again. "They are demanding our surrender."

Zay and Shriv stared at the Grandmaster as her face blanked.

"Is that so? Jacen? Transmit this back, verbatim. 'Republic forces, retreat or die. This world is protected by the Bladeborn'." Jan's growl silenced everything. "'You lying sacks of osik can go to hell and if there is _any_ justice in the universe, I will send _you_ there personally, Admiral!' Cut coms. All hands to Battle Stations."

"What did he do to you?" Zay begged as Catherine started leading her from the room and more alarms started blaring. Shriv looked at the floor and when he spoke, it was soft, sad.

"Admiral Keyan Farlander _didn't_ kill the man named Starkiller."

* * *

**For those who may not know, The Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster was the second Star Wars novel, published in 1978 following the novelization of Star Wars by the same author. It was intended as a backup in case Star Wars flopped as many people thought it would. It was also intended as a precursor to a potential sequel. _That_ sequel was never made and we got Empire Strikes Back. (We shall never mention the awfulness that has 'Holiday' in its name) The movie and later franchise obviously did not flop and the book was mostly forgotten, except by diehard fans, such as myself. It is out of print and hard to come by. I have a very badly worn copy and it is going NOWHERE.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Conflicts**

Zay stared at her uncle and then she wilted.

"Shriv… We cannot fight the Republic!" Zay all but begged. "I… I cannot fight the Republic!"

Considering who her mom and dad had been? If anyone even thought Zay was flying against a Republic fleet, all kinds of bad things would happen. Zay had been warned many times about how the Republic kept a very close eye on her parents due to their past histories. She didn't _care_ that her mom had been an Imperial commando. That had been long before Zay was born. But some people would never forget what the Imperial version of Inferno squad had done.

"I know." Shriv moved to stand beside Zay as Jan and Jaden looked at them. Catherine shook her head and held up empty hands.

"Zay, Shriv, we will not ask you to do that." The Masterblade said quietly. "Two fighters, no matter how well flown, will have little effect on the outcome of this battle. That idiot has no chance here." She snorted. "I almost wish I could fly against him, but you don't need me, Jan."

"With Juno _and_ Ace in system?" Jan snorted right back. "No, we don't." Shriv stared at her and she nodded. "You met Aeron. You think the _rest_ of her family are going to just let that moron attack us?"

"The Azameeens are..." Shriv trailed off and then he smiled. "No, I guess they are not dead. Are they?"

"Will someone please explain what is going on?" Zay asked plaintively. "I thought the Republic Fleet was destroyed."

"The Home Fleet and the majority of the Republic Navy's firepower was." Shriv allowed. "They concentrated their forces in a central location and the First Order blew it away with the same weapon that took out the Hosnian system and the Senate." The Duros shook his head. "But Zay, a fleet is big. The _Republic Fleet_ is huge. It had forces scattered across the galaxy. A task force here, a detachment there, a flotilla over there. All over the place. A single strike took out the high command and most of the battleships, but it wouldn't, _couldn't_, destroy the whole fleet. It _will_ cripple any response due to lack of communication and coordination. Which the First Order planned for. They had far more ships than most had dreamed. Their ships are powerful, fast and filled with fanatics. But as your mother showed, no matter how big and bad the starshiip, tear out its guts and it is useless." The Duros smiled grimly. "They put our backs to the wall and we will come out swinging. A lot of veterans of the Rebellion will come back if the First Order push too hard. We know the limits of fear." Jan, Jaden and Catherine all nodded approval.

"Yeah." Zay sighed and relaxed. 'What do I do?" She asked, dispirited. "I don't want to see Republic forces die, but you Bladeborn clearly have a bad history with this Admiral." Shriv growled something vile and Zay looked at him. "How can _not_ killing someone be grounds for vengeance? I do not understand."

"We will talk as we walk. Jaden? Let Ilosa know we are on our way." Jan said quietly as she started her chair for the door. Jaden nodded, was at the door and gone before anyone could comment. "We are unlikely to be attacked here, but it can happen and I will take no chances with you aboard." Zay looked mulish but Jan wasn't finished. "If the First Order discover that you know _anything_ about where that splinter is… They will come after you."

"_Let them_." Zay's snarl might have frightened off a Rancor. "I owe them for my mom." Catherine shook her head and stepped to Zay's side as Shriv looked a bit worried.

"Zay." The odd Masterblade said gently. "Vengeance is a poison. I know vengeance. I know it well. If you believe _nothing_ else I say, then please believe that vengeance will kill you as surely as a blaster or blade will. A very wise man once said 'When one sets out on the road to vengeance, one should dig _two_ graves. One for his target and one for himself.'" Zay stared at the brown armored woman with huge eyes. "It is true. I am dead, Zay. I hoped to find my boys, but it is likely not going to happen. It is just a matter of time and how many enemies I take with me now."

"Not if I can help it." Karl spoke up and everyone jumped. They had forgotten he was there.

"Karl..." Catherine groaned, exasperation warring with affection. She turned back to Zay. "Zay, please do not follow my path. I have no right to command you, to deny you anything, but please. I never met Iden, but the Bladeborn knew her well. Your mother wanted better for you than a life of pain, fear and horror. She wanted you to know more than death. I am a weapon. That is all I am. A killer is all I will ever be. You have a chance to be so much better than me, girl. Please?"

"I..." Zay swallowed hard and then Catherine was holding her as she cried. They walked, Catherine gently guiding the sobbing girl by the shoulders. Shriv looked from Zay, to Jan, to Catherine, to Karl and back. Then he moved to Zay's side, taking the girl's hand in his own. He did not speak. He just walked with her. It took several minutes of Zay to calm down and no one pushed her. Catherine was just there, a solid supporting presence. Finally, Zay slumped, dashing her free hand across her face as the wheelchair bound Grandmaster led the group towards a hatch. She looked at the floor. "Is it wrong that I hate them?"

"Oh, girl." Catherine smiled a bit sadly. "No, it is not wrong. You are human, with human desires, emotions and hurts. The First Order hurt you. They tried to kill you and they _did_ kill the people you loved. No one blames you for being upset." She chided Zay gently. "Just don't take it too far, okay?" Shriv smiled at Catherine, his earlier distrust mitigated by her kindness to Zay.

"I… I will try?" Zay stammered as Catherine guided her towards the hatch. "Grandmaster, what do I do?"

"Prepare to be pampered." Jan said with a smile. Zay stared at her. "Ilosa is a kind, gentle soul, but she is also our den mother. She looks very scary and she can be scary, but she is also the gentlest being I have ever met. She was there when I woke after the Valley. She was there with Tavion when I was rescued from Jade. She is pretty much the only reason I am alive." She made a face. "I did not cover myself with glory when I first saw her."

"Um..." Zay looked at Catherine who nodded.

"You are not scared of spiders, are you?" The brown armored woman holding Zay asked as they stopped in front of the door. "I was until I met my first Sitolon. They are scary, no question, but they can be kind."

"Eight legs?" Zay asked weakly.

"Four for locomotion, four for manipulation. Two of the latter are small, for delicate work. The other two are big." Catherine agreed as Jan did something and a panel near the hatch glowed. "They do not eat their prey alive. In fact, most of them are vegetarians."

"Telling stories, are we, Catherine?" A calm female voice sounded as the hatch hissed open and horror stood just inside. Zay stared at the huge bronze skinned form as Shriv froze. No one else moved. The huge form had eight legs, true. It had three segments in its body and two long feathery antennae on its head. It had at least eight eyes that were all focused on Zay.

"I bet you have a few of your own." Zay surprised herself by saying and the huge insectoid form made a noise that sounded like a chuckle.

"Oh, you have _no idea_, girl." The other replied in a wicked tone and Zay surprised herself again with a laugh.

Zay looked at Shriv, patted his hand and moved to stand in front of the huge bug. Catherine let her go. Shriv started to follow, but she held up a hand and shook her head.

"I need to do this, Uncle Shriv." Zay said softly. "I am afraid, but I will not be ruled by my fear." Catherine, and Karl both nodded approval as the girl faced the insect form. Shriv muttered something very softly that was likely rude, but did not interfere. "I am afraid." Zay mused. "But not of you?" She half stated, half asked. "Or, not just of you. You have done nothing but stand there. I do not know you, but I think I should?"

"We have met, but you were a tiny child when we met first and unconscious the last time. The unknown is always frightening, Zay Versio." The bronze skinned being said calmly. "Many races are drawn to the unknown in the need to face their fears. Seeing as who bore and sired you, I am not surprised that you are trying to face your fear."

"Fear is not a bad thing." Zay kept her eyes on the spider/insect. "It is what we do with our fear that defines us. Do we run from it? Learn from it? Face it or hide from it?" She took a deep breath and held out her right hand. It trembled slightly but she held it up. "You know my name. May I know yours?"

"My name is Julisfrijugokilosa." The bug said slowly and then mad a soft noise of humor as Zay tried to parse her way through the syllables. "Call me 'Ilosa', Zay Versio."

"Such informality can be rude, Julisfrijugokilosa." Zay managed the name, if a bit slowly. Jan and Catherine both smiled. "No matter what my hind brain may be screaming at me, I will try not to be rude."

"Good." The alien bent down and her antennae extended to Zay who held her hand up higher. A touch and a feeling of warmth swept through Zay. When the bug spoke again, it was silent and into Zay's mind. _You have no need to fear me, Zay Versio._

The words were followed by a soft bath of gentleness. It seeped into Zay and her fear eased. It wasn't gone, not entirely, but it was pushed away. The feeling was so familiar. Zay relaxed fully and smiled.

"I know you. I do not remember you, but I know you." Zay held her hand still as the spider being retracted her antennae. She looked at Shriv who was still frozen. "I know her. She won't hurt me."

"Not unless you are bad." Jan, Catherine and Ilosa all chorused. All three shared a look and Shriv sighed.

"It is always going to be something with you Bladeborn, isn't it?" Shriv complained a bit whimsically as he moved to Zay's side.

"Probably. I am not Bladeborn, Shriv Surgaav." Ilosa corrected him calmly. "I work with Jan's people, do my best to keep their mass of mess from getting any worse, but I am not myself a sword swinger."

"Not for lack of our asking." Jan said softly. "But she swore an oath as a healer to do no harm and she will not break that oath."

Zay looked at Shriv and then stepped forward, right up to the massive form. She opened her arms and the Sitolon's smaller, upper manipulators came down and surrounded her in a gentle hug that she returned.

"I am still afraid, but I can handle it." Zay laid her head on the Sitolon's arm. She felt worry easing from the other and tried to send comfort back. She had no idea if she succeeded or not.

"Oh, Zay! I have missed you." Ilosa sounded close to tears. "Everyone has missed you. The kids may or may not remember you, but all of the others who were here will remember. We begged her to stay with us. To leave you with us, but she was needed and did not want to leave you behind. No one blamed her for that. She did what she thought was right."

"Yeah." Zay slumped a bit. "Mom always did what she thought was right. After..." She looked at the floor. "After."

"Yeah, she did." Ilosa said heavily. "Brace yourself, Zay Versio. This will be hard for you, but we are all here for you. Your brother and sister await you."

"Are they clones?" Zay asked as she released the Sitolon and stepped back.

"No." Ilosa said as she moved to the side to allow the others to pass by her bulk. "Clones would likely not have survived this long. Jade was not that kind."

"That woman needs to die." Shriv said flatly.

"As much as any of us will agree with the sentiment..." Ilosa turned her gaze to Shriv who tensed. "Can you control you emotions? The kids do not deal so well with sudden shocks." She warned.

"That bad?" Shriv asked into sudden silence.

"Worse." Ilosa replied and then stilled as Zay stepped up to her and hugged her again. "Zay?"

"How long have you been taking care of my siblings?" Zay asked.

"Eighteen years." Ilosa said quietly and Zay hugged her again. The human was fighting tears and the Sitolon sighed. "Oh, Zay, it is all right. I was trained for this kind of thing. I was always a nurse, but also trained as a doctor and mental health professional. When the Bladeborn found your mom and dad with so many others in that horrible place, they asked us for help and we gave it. I was the best choice because I was trained in cross species child care. It is often not easy, but I do find it rewarding."

"If… If you are a mental health professional, then I will need to talk to you. I know I am a mess." Zay said softly. "But for now? Isn't there a battle?"

"It will not touch The Nest." Ilosa reassured her. "If that idiot Farlander does not retreat, he will lose his entire force. Juno is bad enough. What Ace will do is worse in some ways." The Sitolon actually shuddered. "And here I used to think ion cannon were more merciful."

"Ion cannon?" Shriv inhaled. "Oh no… No..."

"Yeah." Jan sighed. "To this day, none of us know where he got that TIE Defender. Two ion cannon make a hell of a mess of anything small that they hit. Add mag pulse torpedoes and even capital class ships have difficulty keeping up with such raw power. He may not have the Force but he is scary when he fights. So fast, so maneuverable and he never lets up."

"Ace Azameen?" Zay inquired and Jan nodded. "I heard about him. He was one of Lando Calrissian's gunners at the battle of Endor. He too has cause to hate."

"'Too old to fly' my fat little fanny." Ilosa all but snarled that and everyone looked at her. "He was politically inconvenient, so they benched him. I like Aeron. I like Ace. I wish I had met the rest of their family."

"I visited there a couple of times. They were something else." Shriv said quietly. "That pirate fleet had no idea what they stumbled on when they attacked Azzameen Home Base." He sighed. "And then the Republic didn't bother answering the distress call." He shook his head. "I don't blame the Azzameens for being angry any more than I blame Captain Eclipse."

"We heard it and we answered. We found the Otana drifting." Jan said quietly. "What was left of it. There was nothing else alive in that system. Ace and Aeron eventually killed every last pirate but they were shot up badly in the process. The cost was dear. Those two are the only survivors of the Azzameen clan. They were out of position when the pirate's final missile salvo blew their station, and their families, to dust."

"So many with reason to hate the Republic." Zay said sadly. "I am surprised they didn't join the First Order."

"Ace and Aeron? Not a chance after the way their father and uncle died. Juno said she thought about it, but then came to her senses." Jan smiled a bit grimly. "She knows all about 'Imperial hospitality'." The last two words were snide.

"I think I need to meet my brother and sister now, Julisfrijugokilosa." Zay said quietly.

"They are sleeping right now." Ilosa made a soft noise that mixed amusement and resignation. "You would use my full name all the time, wouldn't you?" Zay nodded. "Please call me, Ilosa, Zay. I want to be your friend as I was your mother's."

"As you wish, Ilosa." Zay smiled at the bug. "If they are sleeping, then I do not want to wake them. I have seen fighting many times. I think I need to watch this, if just so you have an unbiased witness."

"You are biased anyway." Ilosa led the way to another room, this one with couches and a dais of sorts that he moved to and laid down on. It had to be padded somehow, because the huge bronze form sank into it. "Anyone who does not agree completely and unreservedly with the 'Power That Be' is unreliable, after all."

"And here I thought only I could be so bitter after working with nutcases so long." Shriv said with a smirk as Zay glared at him.

"Well, lets see what is- What the-?" A display came alive and more than one person exclaimed as it showed the Republic battle group accelerating towards the planet. It looked as if they were moving to bombard the planet! Several icons that denoted fighter class ships and one larger one showed arrayed around the area, but none were fighting. It looked as if the Republic fleet had started for the planet at full speed.

"Is he _insane?_" Ilosa said slowly.

"Yes, he is." Jan said slowly. "But this… He has been after us since we refused to surrender Juno way back when. He cannot find us, so… Oh no."

Everyone stared in horror as multiple missile tubes on every Republic ship belched and the missiles started off towards the planet only to stop dead in space. Holding position. Waiting.

"That is not a Republic tactic." Shriv said slowly. "That is an _Imperial_ tactic!"

"Taking hostages. Yeah." Jan said softly and then she spoke to the air. "Jacen, let me guess. Jade. She is demanding something?"

"How did you know, Grandmaster?" Whoever this Jacen person was, he was _not_ happy. "She is on the com."

"This is Jade's kind of tactic. Threatening people who cannot fight back has always been her stock in trade." Jan said slowly. "Order Ace and Juno to get close to the missiles but weapon tight. I will see if I can convince her that this is a very bad idea before Nia goes nuclear. You know she will."

"Jade should have learned better." Jacen said with a snarl. "Losing two Star Destroyers didn't teach her?"

"Clearly not." Jan heaved a sigh. "Put me through. Holographic. My face only."

Zay did not know the woman who appeared in a blue hologram in front of Jan, but everyone else in the room did. Catherine moved to stand by Zay as Ilosa made a soft noise of rage. Before anyone else could speak, Mare Jade did.

"Nia will not be able to help you." The fire haired woman said coldly. "I know how much it hurts her to do such things. I do not want to see her hurt, but you have something of mine and I want it back."

"Do we?" Jan inquired. "And what would that be, you lying sack of Hutt droppings?"

"Orrs." Jade might have been carved from stone. "We may not be able to see your ship through its cloaking device, but if you deploy anything, the missiles I have seeded with biotoxin will hit the planet no matter how many fighters you have deployed. I want my daughter and Versio's daughter. Now."

"Funny." Jan snapped out. "And here I thought you had a brain. Subverting Farlander? Yes, I can see that. The man was and is a flarging idiot about anything but flying snubfighters. But this? Last I checked, you didn't have a daughter. You threw her in Kyle's face when you ran to escape his wrath." Jade flushed, but Jan wasn't finished. "So now, you want to take people who want nothing to do with you and do what you did to _me_ to _them_. I know what Kyle will say. I will too along with all of my people. Flarg you. You will never touch Zay or Jaden again."

"I will kill that planet!" Jade warned.

"_THEN_ _WE WILL KILL YOU!_" Jan snarled and hell itself seemed to freeze as her rage was given full voice. "Do whatever you want, you lying piece of osik, but you will _die_ here today. You and that piece of trash Farlander. I am not surprised he is using Imperial tactics now. That seems his style."

"No one needs to die!" Jade begged. "I just..."

"Why?" Zay interrupted before Jan could speak. "_Why_ do you want me?" Jan opened her mouth, but Jade beat her to it.

"Because your mother begged me to save you and I failed!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay. Yeah, I have gone a bit overboard on adding characters from stuff retconned out of existence by the House of Mouse. Here is a list so far:**

**Kyle Katarn, Jan Ors, Desann, Tavion, Jaden - Dark Forces series**

**Mara Jade – Mysteries of the Sith and far too many EU books to list**

**Corran Horn and Boba Fett who survived the Sarlacc - EU books**

**Juno Eclipse and Starkiller- The Force Unleashed**

**Sev- Republic Commando (Yes, he showed up in The Clone Wars, but still…)**

**Keyan Farlander – The _first_ X-Wing game's literature 'The Farlander papers' and a couple of EU references**

**So far...**

****And canon-****

****Zay Versio, Shriv Surgaav, Iden Versio- Battlefront 2 (canon for the moment until Disney messes anything else up)****

* * *

**Mothers**

"So?" Zay demanded of Jade as everyone looked at her. "I am supposed to believe that?"

"I am trying to help." Jade snapped and _everyone_ snorted.

"Tell that to my siblings, you crazy bitch!" Zay snarled. At that, Jade seemed to stiffen and Zay continued. "What? No fancy lies about that?"

"No." Jade said very softly. "No lies about that." Zay would have retorted, but Ilosa laid a hand on her arm. Jade continued. "I did what I did. What happened to them was wrong. I was trying to figure out why it went wrong, to help them."

"Stop talking!" Zay's snarl was pure feral as she jerked away from the Sitolon whose antennae fluttered. She reached out with two hands and took the girl's arms in gentle, but firm grips. The Sitolon leaned close.

"She is pushing your buttons. Let Jan handle this." Ilosa's quiet words were phrased as a request, but her grip was solid. Zay was not going to get loose until and unless the big bug released her. Zay stared at the Sitolon and then nodded a bit jerkily.

"Whatever you want, you are not going to get." Jan said after a moment. Barely constrained rage sang in her tone. "You may know more than most about what we do and why, but even you have to know that threatening the planet is a bad idea."

Wait a minute! Where had _Catherine_ gone? _Karl_ was gone too! Zay hadn't noticed, but both had disappeared! Shriv stood by the hatchway, his eyes cold and hard as he stared at the hologram.

"Anything less would not get your attention!" Jade retorted. "You just ignore any reasoned, civilized attempts at discussion."

"Would you know 'civilized' if it bit you?" Jan replied, still fighting for calm. "I can see what you did to Iden and Del. It was what your master commanded. Who cares what it does to the people you torture?"

"NONE OF THEM WERE HURT!" Jade all but exploded! "I didn't hurt any of them! _You_ idiots did!"

"Did I?" Jan asked, icy calm descending now. "As I recall, I was unconscious the whole time I was in your 'oh, so benevolent care'." The last few words might have cut through a diamond. "When I woke up and found out what you had done, oh yes, I was angry. I am angry, but unlike you and your slavemaster, I am held to a higher standard. What you did violated every single medical ethic in existence. Even the Nightsisters of Dathomir might hesitate to do what your master commanded you to do. Because despite their madness, they KNOW BETTER." Jan snapped. "_**Making**_ Force users _doesn't work_. Even Vader understood that. Eventually." Her tone dropped in volume, but increased in intensity. "But your master commanded and like any good little slave, you obeyed."

"I am trying to save the galaxy!" Jade snarled. "Give me my daughter and Versio's!"

"No." The chairbound Grandmaster retorted. "What you are trying to do is destroy it as your master wished. If he could not rule it, he wanted it all to burn." She shook her head. "Just like a Sith. 'If I can't have it, no one can!'" That was snide and childlike. Jade shook her head.

"Goading me is a bad idea, Jan." The holographic woman said quietly as if to a small child.

"Coming in here with _him_ and demanding what you did the _way_ you did is a worse idea, _Mara_." Jan retorted in a matching tone. "I do not doubt that you can kill thousands, maybe more. _You_ should not doubt that we can and will kill every last one of the people on those ships. You will run away. I know you have an escape plan. You always do." She shook her head as Jade opened her mouth. "For that last time 'No'. Jade is_ my_ daughter. Not yours. Iden was my friend. _You_ are my enemy. Go ahead, give your order and then we will kill you and everyone around you." The grandmaster's voice turned silky with menace. "Nia may be unavailable, but there are others who are. Dragon Four in particular is begging to be let loose on you and your scum." Jade stilled.

"You wouldn't." Jade actually _paled _enough that it showed in the hologram.

"Try me." Jan replied. "You may have a swarm fighting for you, but we Bladeborn have fought them before. _He_ fought their Dark Cousins long ago. He made _Sith Lords_ _piss their armo__r__ed pants!_ Give me a _reason_ to call him in. Please!"

"It is not like that!" Was Jade pleading? "Jan! Grandmaster Orrs! Don't do this! You will kill yourself pulling that kind of power!"

"So?" Jan snapped right back. "You don't care for any life but your own! How many died in your experiments?"

"Too many." Jade shook her head. "I _need_ Jaden and Versio's daughter. I won't hurt them!" She pleaded.

"Like you didn't hurt _me_." Jan might have been carved from ice now. "I speak for all of the Bladeborn when I say you will not touch Jaden again. And as for Iden's daughter?" She looked at Zay who bowed her head. "She is marked."

Zay felt her lower right arm warm. She stared down at a red mark that appeared on her skin. From the angle she was looking, it was a sword of some kind. Zay stiffened, but Ilosa leaned close again.

"Have no fear, girl." The huge bug reassured her softly. "Jan will never forsake you. None of them will."

"You..." Jade seemed at a loss for words. "I wouldn't hurt them! I just need their DNA!"

"No." Jan said firmly. "You want to make slave soldiers. Cloning has all kinds of downsides, so as your master commanded, you make children. You will not do to Zay and Jaden what you did to me."

"Your ovaries were dying." Jade pleaded. "Your body was failing! Even the Force couldn't keep them alive!"

"If you were not abusing children, I might have actually been insane enough to let you do that." Jan said quietly. "But my Order feels very strongly about children in danger. Which is what they found when they blew their way into your 'Home of Tomorrow'." She shook her head. "Your missiles threaten countless children. We may not be able to stop them, but we _will_ kill you. For the final time, 'No'. Jaden and Zay stay where they are."

"Fine, then the lives lost on planet will be on your- What? NO!" Jade's hologram flickered for a moment and Zay stared as Jan snickered. Then Jade was back, face ashen and angry. "What have you done?"

"I guess we don't need Dragon Four. He will be disappointed." Jan had a shrug in her voice that she could never show in person. "Surprise, you _bitch_. Cut coms." Jade opened her mouth, but the hologram faded totally. Jan's face held a wide smile as her chair spun to face Zay.

"Um… what?" Zay asked as Shriv shook his head.

"A distraction." The Duros sounded approving! "You held her attention long enough for someone to get into position. The missile control?"

"Yes." Jan shook her head. "This battle is all but over. If they deploy any fighters at all, Ace and Juno will blow them away. If they don't? They have no way to _see_ Juno or _hit_ Ace."

"Who could _board_ a Republic battleship without causing them to fire the missiles?" Zay demanded even as Ilosa crooned to her.

"Not who, Zay." Jan corrected her grimly. "_What._"

* * *

New Republic battleship _Madine's Provenance_

"How long, Falcon?"

If Catherine's tone was a bit tense, no one blamed her. Getting aboard the ship hadn't been easy even with a pair of hastily forged Itzal archwings. Getting aboard without killing anyone had been even harder. A few dozen guards and techs would wake up with headaches and/or broken bones, but none were dead. Yet. Karl knew full well the value of stealth and so did Catherine. Their companion, however was _anything_ but 'inconspicuous'.

"The machinery may be primitive, but the encryptions are surprisingly sophisticated." Falcon's Sentient form hovered near a bank of computers, energy playing across the computer systems as the hovering being accessed things she had no business accessing. "Deployed missiles have been deactivated. Disabling the ones still aboard is harder. The safeties are complex. I will need some time."

"That may be problematic." Catherine sighed as an alarm started to blare. "And here we go. Karl, right side!"

There were three large hatches that led into the missile command center's lobby. Said center wasn't a very large room, the banks of computers that dominated it and the viewscreen that showed the spatial area around the ship took up most of the available area. That said, it did have desks and other somewhat dubious cover scattered about the area. Falcon was halfway behind a large bank of computers, but still exposed.

"Alert!" Came a voice over a public address system. "Intruders detected in missile control! All hands stand to! Repel boarders!"

"Don't get cocky." Catherine said softly as Karl scoffed. "A heavy repeater or grenade launcher will mess up your warframe and I do _not_ want a Technocyte outbreak here. Understand?"

"Better that than what Nia would do." Karl muttered as he drew his Orthos Prime and set himself in the middle of the path from the hatch.

"True. Nia _does_ take after her dad far too much." Catherine agreed as she drew a Lacera. Her Glaive was far more lethal, but she wanted to limit casualties if she could. This wasn't her reality and just being here strained things that did not appreciate being strained. "Then again, she usually has cause."

"Multiple crew and droids approaching." Falcon warned.

"Worry about the missiles!" Catherine snapped. "We will handle these."

The former Royal Guard jammed her Lacera into one of the hatches, its Tenno sharp blade slicing through hardened steel like a hot knife through cheese. Then the power that arced within the scissor blade sought the path of least resistance and fried several critical junctions. The hatch hissed and all the lights around it went dark. Blocked for the moment. She moved to the other door as it hissed open.

"Intruders in- What the hell is _that?_" Came from one of he crew who was aiming a blaster carbine at Catherine.

"None shall pass." Catherine said quietly as the force, perhaps a dozen troops and droids, gawked at her.

"Whoever you are! Drop your weapon and kneel down!" One of the troops managed to follow protocol despite the sudden shock of seeing a Gersemi Valkyr waframe in the _middle_ of their battleship. Catherine smiled a bit in approval. She hoped that one survived what was about to happen. Soldiers that unflappable were hard to come by.

"None shall pass." Catherine held her sword ready, its chain-whip in her odd hand. The Lacera was an oddity among Tenno weapons. Most Tenno preferred steel or at least some modicum of bio-metal to strike with, but Catherine had come prepared to fight people she wasn't really a swilling to kill as she had been the First Order. She knew far more about this reality than was safe for anyone, so she was not really prepared to kill with the reckless abandon that was the hallmark of most who wore Valkyr warframes. Instead, she had set her sword-whip up as big taser.

"What do you want?" Another voice. Scared. Catherine did not move.

"You threaten the innocent." The Tenno's sword was in motion as a blaster whined, batting a bolt out of the air to slam it into a wall nearby. She hadn't moved her feet! Every one of the soldiers took a step back. Even the droids seemed worried. "None shall pass!"

"Some kind of Bladeborn droid!" The unflappable won sounded shaken now and Catherine braced herself for what was coming. "Blast it!"

"_NO!_" A shout from a familiar, _hated_ voice came just a hair too late. Mara Jade babbled from the com as the Tenno known as Catherine danced into the ranks of troops, utterly unstoppable.

Twenty troops. Six war droids. No chance.

They tried anyway. Catherine had to give the troops credit for courage if not brains. The droids fell in sparking piles of junk, shorted out by her blade. Repairable, but out of the fight. Every time her blade or whip touched an organic enemy, that one fell in a twitching heap. She was not just Tenno. The Force was with her. She walked a very thin line between Darkness and Light, but she had always walked it well. There was a _reason_ that the first Bladeborn she had encountered had called her by her chosen name 'Sekmet' without qualm after her Trial to join their ranks. 'Goddess of War'

Less than minute after the first shot had been fired, Catherine strode back to the door where she turned and faced the hallway now filled with fallen enemies. A couple of shots had connected, but none were debilitating. A glance Karl's way showed he had his own situation well in hand as he slammed a luckless Republic trooper out of his Larva. The luckless woman hit the wall and slumped, instantly unconscious.

Nothing moved in front of him or in front of her.

"None shall pass." Catherine said into the sudden stillness.

"You." Jade's voice was subdued, scared almost. "I have seen Imperial records. They show you. Thousands of years ago! What are you?"

The warrior known to the Bladeborn as 'Sekmet' had made a hell of a mess on occasion. It stood to reason that Sith Empire cameras had caught sight of her. They had been everywhere after all. It as bit surprising that such records still existed three thousand some odd years later, but hey. Stranger things happened every day in this reality.

"If I had my way, your _death_ for what you did to Jan." Catherine said in a cold, dead voice that always scared the crap out of people. She had learned that tone form a very scary person who had been very kind to her. Idjit of the Bladeborn had been old when she had met him, but still powerful and wise. Most of the time. His sense of humor had been hard to deal with. "Be very glad I am constrained by my honor here or I would kill everyone aboard to get to you."

"You haven't killed anyone, have you?" Jade did not quite demand that.

"If so, do you think such weakness?" Catherine did not bother to hide the scorn in her voice. Jade scoffed!

"Disabling is far harder than killing and you make it look so easy. If you are the woman in our records, then you stood shoulder to shoulder beside legends like Istara Sharlina Andal and Nia Korr." Jade said in a stunned voice. "You are… I..."

"I stood beside a lot of my kin." Catherine replied, noncommittal. "Fight or no, it matters not to me. I will accomplish my mission and leave. I do not suggest you try to hinder me."

Cold, hard, utterly merciless. She could kill everyone aboard just as she and Karl had the crew of the First Order ship and Jade knew it.

"I need the DNA from those girls." Jade said flatly.

"You will not get it." Catherine replied. "The only way you will touch Zay or Jaden is over the dead bodies of every single Bladeborn. Jan and I stand as one in this. Cross us at your peril."

"I failed." Jade said quietly. "I did save Zay eventually and that is a good thing, but I failed her brother and sister. Jan has every right to be angry with me, but tell her… Please tell her that I used the material I got from her to save _Zay_." Catherine did not react and the other woman sighed. "I have lied about so much, but that is true. Iden Versio was the best of the best. Imperial Special Forces. Imperial to the core. Until she was pushed too far by the Emperor's madness. I do not and cannot condone treason, but Zay is what I have been trying for all along. Not Force sensitive, but special."

"She is Iden Versio's daughter, of course she is special." Catherine retorted as Falcon beeped behind her, a droid like sound they had agreed on to maintain as much cover as they could. "Touch her or Jaden again and I will be within my rights to hunt you down and kill you."

"You would." Jade said very slowly. Catherine did not react and Jade sighed. "You stopped the missiles. The Bladeborn will attack now. I didn't want bloodshed! I do not want bloodshed! I just want the girls!"

"You will not get them." Catherine stepped back into the lobby as Falcon arced towards her, computer systems shutting down as the Sentient flew past. The hatch Catherine had warded hissed shut and locked. The mismatched pair started for Karl but paused when he held up a hand.

"Movement." The Nidis warframe shook its head. "Cloaked, but there."

"Wondered when they would show up." Catherine stepped to the white warframe's side and shook her head at the seemingly empty hallway. "Falcon. Make sure no one gets a scan of you."

"_Catherine_..." Falcon and Karl both growled, but Catherine started down the hallway.

"Get out of here." Catherine said as she strode past the hatch that led to their egress point. She was not surprised when _nine_ silver forms shimmered out of nowhere to stand in front of her. Catherine shook her head, aware that all of the Sitolon in front of her were terrified. As well they should be. She was barely aware that Falcon and Karl ran through the hatch, obeying her even though both wanted to stay and fight. Falcon could not be scanned here. Sentient tech was nothing anyone here would recognize and any research into such would cause all kinds of repercussions. The warframe clad Tenno stayed where she was. "Who is first?" She asked as she hefted her Lacera.

"No one need die here today, Bladeborn." A melodious voice sounded as a golden hologram appeared din the middle of the corridor. The young golden queen looked awful. Sick? "We will let you leave if you so desire, but you lack information. Mara Jade is obeying her Emperor's commands, true. She is trying to save_ me_."

"And you are?" Catherine might have been carved from stone.

"I am Rai. I am a clone of an ancient queen named Sarai."


	14. Chapter 14

**Powers**

Catherine did not move, did not so much as twitch, but her mind was racing as she stared at the utterly outclassed Sitolon and the holographic queen. They might not know what she truly was, but they knew what she could do and all were afraid. All seemed young, but determined to do their best for their queen. As it should be.

There was literally no way that anyone in this time could know the name 'Sarai'. The queen had perished about fifteen hundred years before this point in time. Catherine had met her a few times in the course of her duties as Bladeborn, but she had never really focused on the Sitolon. The Sitolon queen had molted many times over the course of her long life even for her kind and had added syllables to her name with every molting. Catherine could not remember all of them. Sitolon molted every fifty years or so, so in a lifespan of a one and a half thousand years, that meant twenty five syllables. That was a bit much even for Force enhanced Tenno memory. She and all the other Bladeborn had just called the queen 'Sarai' as the queen had wished.

"And the reason you have never contacted the swarms for assistance?" Catherine asked slowly, every sense hyper aware.

"We-" Jade started, but Rai cut her off.

"Jade, be silent! You have angered them all!" The queen snapped and Catherine fought not to react as Jade shut up! "I woke up a slave but eventually gained some measure of freedom of action. Every Imperial probe into the Sitolon system stopped functioning moments after arrival. The few manned exploration attempts simply disappeared. They ignore any long range communication attempts." Catherine did not react, but inside, she was smiling. The Sitolon _still_ brooked no trespass. It was nice to see that some things never changed. "I cannot access the network. I can sense its existence, but I cannot access it." The golden queen seemed to slump. "That is probably a good thing."

"Considering how I have been told Emperor Palpatine reacted to anything he could not control?" Catherine replied, still non-committal. "He would have ordered it destroyed no matter the cost in lives and resources. It wasn't possible for his Empire to destroy, but that wouldn't have stopped him wasting huge amounts of men and resources trying."

"So very true." Rai's voice wasn't from the hologram!

The Tenno went still as a golden form appeared out of a hatch behind the silver ones and stepped fully into view. The Sitolon queen was very young. Less than fifty years. Her golden skin was patchy with mold or rot. She was sick and she was scared, but she stepped up to her retainers who formed ranks around her for all the good it would do against a Tenno in a warframe. Let alone a _Masterblade_ Bladeborn Tenno.

"I surrender to your justice, Bladeborn Sekmet." The queen leaned forward and all four of her arms went to the floor, a Sitolon version of a bow.

"Rai! No!" Jade all but screamed from the com. "We can heal you!"

"The way you have been? How many lives must you destroy for me, Mara Jade?" Rai snapped right back. "Your Emperor was insane to order me made! _You_ were insane to keep trying! If I die, then I die. You had no right to inflict such horror on so many to try and save _one_ life."

"All I need is the girls' DNA!" Jade snapped. "It can heal you!"

"Listen to yourself, Mara!" In comparison? Rai just seemed tired. "That isn't you talking! You _know_ better! You know it won't work on me! I am not human! You want the girls to fulfill 'Project Reborn' and it _won't work!_"

"Making Force users never works." Catherine agreed. "Unless you do it nature's way." Rai gave the Bladeborn a nod, but did not move from her bow.

"Raising and training children is the work of a lifetime and no one these days seems to understand. They want things now and refuse to take the long view." Rai heaved a sigh. "That said? The Imperial techniques sort of worked once and the Emperor commanded his servant Jade to make it work again. You and I both know it cannot, Sekmet. What happened was a fluke or Ashla."

If this was a fake, then it was the best fake that Catherine had ever contemplated. There were few beings who even knew about Sitolon in this reality. Intentionally so. Their allies, including Bladeborn among others, had worked for millennia to expunge records from every source. Apparently, they had missed something.

"Trust will not happen." Catherine warned. "I cannot access the network and even if I _could?_ They will not accept another queen without a great deal of scrutiny." Another alarm started blaring and Catherine shook her head. "And if Farlander does anything at all, he is a dead man."

"Admiral Keyan Farlander is not on this ship. He never was." Rai offered. "These ships are Jade's. She took them from him the same way she took over the Imperial ships she tried to use to kidnap Jaden last time. She could never _find_ Zay. The girl's mother hid her well." Approval sang in the golden bug's tone.

"Rai!" Jade protested, but the queen was having none of it.

"Your tactics do not and _will not_ work against Bladeborn!" The Sitolon said sternly. "All you will do is get a whole lot more people killed. For nothing. Enough!" She all but bit those words out as Jade sputtered. "Call off the guards, Mara Jade or they will die. I do not know _what_ Sekmet is, but I know what she can _do_. I know enough to be very afraid. Some of that is genetic memory." She said as Catherine eyed her. "Some of it was in Imperial records. The Sith Empire and then Palpatine's Empire _really_ wanted to find the Bladeborn and I know _why_. Mara Jade does not." She said to Catherine.

"From what I understand, the Jedi managed to keep the Republic from losing too many people trying." Catherine allowed. "But the Empire, either one, never cared for troops' lives."

"No." Rai sounded as sick as she looked. "No, they didn't. Victory was all that mattered."

"Some victory." Catherine said softly. "The Sith Empire is dust and ashes, Palpatine a dark echo in the Force."

"Republic, Empire. Empire, Republic. Perhaps the new human Jedi Rey can end the cycles." The Sitolon queen said sadly. "Nothing else we know of has any hope of doing so. Bladeborn. Mara Jade is trapped by her duty. I tried to help her, but I cannot. I am too limited."

"And she or her master will have placed controls in you." Catherine said flatly. Rai nodded. "We cannot trust you." She warned.

"I am not asking trust." Rai reassured the Bladeborn who tensed. Something had just impinged on her senses. Something bad. Rai tensed as well. "What?"

"A warning in the Force." Catherine said softly, scanning with all of her senses. "You say these ships are Jade's." She want totally still as awesome power flared across the Force and a dark robed form appeared behind Rai's swarm. "Rai! _Move!_"

"_NO!_" Rai screamed as the dark robed form raised a hand and a pulse of pure Force energy slammed into her, casting her and her retainers to the side like rag dolls. None were badly hurt, Sitolon were far more robust than they looked, but he hadn't been aiming at _them!_

The Force pulse hit Catherine who rode it, not trying to fight the power. She did as she had been taught so long ago, slid around, through it and found herself back on her feet near where she had been, Glaive and lightsaber crossed in front of her as the other started walking towards her.

"What?" Rai asked as her swarm moved to aid her. She was stunned, but not badly hurt to Catherine's senses. "What is that?"

"Rai! Run!" Catherine snapped as she set herself. "Get to an escape pod! Get to the planet! Code "Stormhawk Boss lives!' That will buy you a little time. _Go!_" She thundered as the swarm all stared at her. "This _was_ Farlander's ship." Catherine said softly as the man in front of her reached up to drop his hood. The face that shone was barely human, more metal than flesh and twisted looking. The man's sole flesh eye was dripping tears! He was crying! "He did this. It is okay." She said as half of the man's mouth twisted into a grimace. The other half would never move. "I know you have no free will after what Farlander did. We hoped you had managed to escape in the confusion."

"_Run!_" The voice from the man was utterly at odds with his set posture as the man dropped his cloak and drew two lightsabers that ignited in red streams of energy. "Please! For the sake of the Force! _Run!_"

"No." Catherine dashed forwards until she stood between Rai and the approaching heavily augmented form. Darth Vader and Palpatine's Empire had done horrors to the man, but Keyan Farlander had done far _worse_. She had no chance against him with the Force, but there were many ways to fight. Ways that Catherine knew and no one else in this reality would. "Rai! Go! Now. You and yours have _no chance_ here. Get your swarm to escape pods and get out of here. Find an uninhabited section of Sulon, hunker down! Send that code! Jade did something to you, she _must_ have. She did it to him too. You will be vetted. It will not be pleasant."

"I can't leave you, Sekmet!" Rai protested. "You are true Bladeborn!"

"And _you_ are another child that Mara Jade has _abused_."

At Catherine's cold words, everything in the hallway seemed to stop. Even the cyborg _thing_ approaching seemed shaken for a moment. Only for a moment and then he started forward again as Rai and her swarm fled what was likely to be a titanic battle.

"I cannot-" The revenant of a once noble warrior was begging as he approached Catherine, tears streaming. "Please! Run! I cannot stop the programming! He took me and I… _She told me to stop you!_ _I cannot stop myself!_" He screamed, his voice at odds with his set face.

"I know." Catherine reassured him gently. "Juno survived." She said and the little of the man's face that retained humanity lightened.

"Juno? My dreams are so strange." The man said weakly even as his body set itself to fight. "I killed her, served Vader? Saved her, captured Vader? It is all a jumbled mess."

"I do not know all of the facts and I likely won't." Catherine said sadly as she set herself. This battle would test her in ways that she had not been recently. She was Dark Side enough to relish the challenge. "I _do_ know that Keyan Farlander found you floating in the wreckage of the Death Star after the battle of Endor. Darth Vader had apparently salvaged you from somewhere and your body was in a vault in the wreck of his flagship. Your body was so heavily augmented that it survived even the explosion of the Super Star Destroyer and then the battle station. Farlander rebuilt you and when you woke up? You begged him for death and he refused. He programmed you just like Vader had and used you as his agent to kill Imperials who were too well protected to attack any other way. When Captain Eclipse found out what he had done, she beat the man half to death and left, vowing never to serve a Republic who would stoop to such tactics."

"Ah, Juno." The little bit of the man's face that could move eased a bit more even as his sabers twitched in readiness. "Good girl. I never deserved her love."

"'Deserve'?" Catherine asked sadly as she shifted her stance just a little and the cyborg in front of her did the same. He _blazed_ in the Force. His body was so altered that he wasn't even half a man now. If this was him so badly damaged, what had he been like a human? Cybernetics diluted the Force, this was known. If he was this powerful _now_, he must have been _unimaginably_ powerful in his prime. "Deserve has nothing to do with love, Starkiller."

For a long moment nothing moved in the corridor. An insanely accomplished mistress of the sword from another reality faced an insanely powerful font of Force energy. Then without further ado both mythical warriors charged each other and hell came to breakfast.

* * *

Bladeborn cruiser 'The Nest'

"What is happening?"

Zay was hardly the only person to gawk as the battleship in the middle of the Republic formation seemed to shudder in space. Pieces flew off it as if punched from the inside. Escape pods flew away from it in droves. Ilosa was beside her, still holding her as everyone stared at the screen. The missiles had all self destructed and then, silence. But now? This. Zay couldn't sense the Force, but everyone who could was wincing.

"Starkiller." Jan said very softly from her chair. "Oh no. No… _Catherine!_"

"She will survive." CA-E1 had appeared from somewhere and stood next to Jan's chair, her face as impassive as ever, but her posture worried. "You know this."

"I do. I also know how much it costs her to revive as she does here." Jan sighed. "Farlander has so much to answer for. If that scum was _aboard_, then-" She broke off as an alert chimed. "What _now_?" She demanded, ire flaring.

"Grandmaster." The voice of the one called Jacen came again. "Three of the escape pods are altering course away from the others. They are all broadcasting a code in clear that does not correspond with anything in our databanks."

"What code?" Jan asked.

"Three words." Jacen sounded puzzled. "'Stormhawk Boss lives'?" He queried.

Everyone stared at Ilosa as the Sitolon started to laugh. It was a sad laugh, and more than a bit bitter, but a true sign of humor.

"What?" Zay demanded a bit shrilly as Shriv moved to her side. Jan shook her head as CA-E1 started to scan her.

"I am all right." Jan said a bit sharply. "Ilosa? You know that code?"

"It is less a code than an ancient _con_." Ilosa said with a snort as she fought for control and succeeded in abating her mirth. "The man who became Stormhawk Boss was a soldier of the Republic a very long time ago. He and his allies were betrayed by the Republic they were sworn to serve and went rogue. Their ship was called the Stormhawk and their commander became 'Boss'. It was very odd what they did. Not quite pirates or privateers, but not sanctioned forces in any way either. They preyed on Imperial shipping and isolated battlegroups for over a decade before their ship was finally destroyed saving our world from our own hubris." Her voice turned sad. "Stormhawk Boss was supposedly immortal. Shoot him, stab him, poison him and he always came back. But he _wasn't_ immortal."

"If he wasn't then… Oh my _god_." Zay said, awe and horror dawning equally. "Someone took his place." Ilosa nodded.

"Every time. Stormhawk Boss fell, in battle, to sickness, whatever, someone else took his armor, took up his mantle and his crusade. It was all a trick to keep people off guard." The Sitolon was calm now. "Catherine is warning us that whatever is in those pods is likely a trick of some kind. She did it in a way that few will understand. This was a warning for _my_ people. We remember the Stormhawk and the Seven." Her tone was reverent.

"If Masterblade Catherine is fighting Starkiller over there..." Shriv said softly. "We need to stay _far_ away from that." Everyone nodded.

"Why would she _warn_…?" Jan trailed off as she scrutinized the scan readouts. "Sitolon lifesigns in those pods."

"Everyone will need to stay away from them until we can vet them." Ilosa said firmly. "That will take some time to get a medical and psychological team here. I can do part of it, but you Bladeborn need me." She sounded torn and Zay laid a hand on the Sitolon's closest arm.

"Can I help?" Zay asked and everyone stared at her. "Jade wants me. I can be bait." She recoiled as everyone glared at her. "Hey, it was just an idea!"

"A _bad_ idea." Jan replied and seemed to slump. CA-E1 did something and the Grandmaster nodded her thanks tot he droid thing. "Thank you."

"Catherine will need help, but there is little we can do to aid her while she is combating such a foe. We would likely just be in the way." CA-E1 said mildly. "Your vitals are worrying. You need rest, Grandmaster."

"I need to coordinate this mess." Jan replied and then paused as everyone, including Zay, glared at _her_.

"You have capable subordinates. Trust them." CA-E1 replied as she laid a hand on Jan's shoulder and Jan's eyes closed. "Rest in the arms of Ashla, Grandmaster." She said sadly as Ilosa moved to scoop the chair bound Grandmaster up and set her against a wall where medical gear swept out to attach to the chair. Jan was clearly not going to wake up soon, so everyone but Ilosa left the room, but not before Zay gave the bug another hug that Ilosa returned gently. CA-E1 looked at Zay who was thinking hard as she walked. "Do not even think about it, human. Jan would flay us all. Let alone what _Catherine_ would do."

"She is dying, isn't she? Jan, that is." Zay said very quietly. No one would meet her eyes and she slumped. "I… She is kind."

"Most of the time." Kyle's voice heralded the Masterblade approaching from a cross corridor. He smiled at her. "You just won me ten credits, Zay."

"Who bet that I would puke or cry on seeing Ilosa?" Zay demanded.

"No one bet on _that_." Kyle reassured her. "Even those of us who didn't know your mom know better than that." He grinned and she shared it, a bit hesitant. "We bet on how long it would take until you _hugged_ Ilosa. She is something else, isn't she?" He asked as Zay goggled at him.

"Yes, she is. Such kindness and gentleness in a horrific looking form." Zay agreed with a smile, but then sighed. "What word, Masterblade?" Kyle mock glared at her and Zay shrugged. "I am a bit stressed, still. Katarn." She smiled as he made a face.

"I know." Kyle sighed himself. "Jan is going to be mad, but I am off to check something. Falcon downloaded some odd records and is trying to parse them fully as we speak. Do not ask." He warned when Zay looked curious. Zay shut her mouth with a click.

"Am I ever going to meet this enigmatic Falcon in the flesh?" Zay asked, curiosity still aroused. Shriv stared at Kyle and both winced. CA-E1 looked as impassive as ever, but the droid's posture was worried. Kyle was the one who spoke.

"Ashla, I _hope_ not!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Nightmares**

Zay wasn't crying now.

She had managed to keep her emotions in check when she had met her brother and sister. Both had tugged at her heartstrings and she knew Shriv had been little better. Both Zay and her unlikely uncle had managed to stay calm when Jaden had led them into a room where Ilosa had introduced them both to a young man and a young woman, both of whom looked like Zay. Both had seemed in perfect health, if a bit on the timid side. Then they had started to talk and Zay's world had crumpled around her. They were her age, 18, but both were kids. From what everyone had said, neither of them were going to get any better. Ilosa was so kind, so gentle and Zay had relaxed more than a bit with her unlikely siblings, but eventually, the children in adult bodies had gone to sleep and Zay had all but fled the bug along with her uncle. It had only been after they had left the room that both had started to cry.

No one had pressed them. The human girl and Duros veteran had been led to a stateroom and given food that Zay had eaten robotically. Tavion had been in and out along with her assistant, Aeron. Neither Zay nor Shriv had been hurt physically, but Tavion had prescribed rest for both of them after so many emotional shocks and Zay hadn't resisted. No one had hurt her or drugged her, but she hadn't been able to stop crying. Shriv had after a bit and just sat with her while she cried.

This wasn't an enemy she could fight. A foe she could kill or evade. Her siblings were hurt and there was _nothing_ she could do about it.

Just…

Like…

Zay fought for control as the emotions tore through her again, but it eluded her. She could not stop the rage, the pain, the fear that had overwhelmed her when her mother had died in her arms in the hyperspace engineering compartment of that Star Destroyer.

"It is all right." The words came through a haze. Zay was sure she knew the male voice, but it barely registered. "Girl, Zay, it is all right."

Warm arms surrounded Zay as she gave in and cried again. This time someone was holding her as she sobbed into that someone's hard armored shoulder. Warmth poured through Zay, easing her in ways that she could not define. A cold, hard place inside herself gave a snap as a knot that had coalesced into being as her mother had died was soothed and then erased. Zay stared up through streaming eyes at a face she did not know. The man who held her wore armor that was black as night. It was archaic looking, that armor, but fully functional. He wore no helmet and his green eyes were sad under his short black hair. She opened her mouth to try and speak, but nothing came out. He nodded and hugged her gently. He was scary looking, no question, fully armed and clearly a professional. But he wasn't scary. Or, he _was_, but Zay wasn't frightened of him. Why? It made no sense.

"It is all right, Zay." The man said softly. "You never gave yourself time to grieve. You need to. I am here to help with that." He smiled at her befuddled look. "This isn't real, Zay. You are asleep and dreaming. You will face your fears here. But you will not face them alone."

"I… I can't..." Zay managed as the man held her.

"Yes, you can." The man reassured her. "You are stronger than those First Order morons." He shook his head and made a face. "All this time and they are _still_ making the exact same mistakes as idiots did in my time. Really. Unthinking obedience has its uses, but it is always limited. Your mother knew this. She was raised and trained to _think_, not just to _obey_. She was a good woman." That wasn't second hand knowledge! Zay stared at the man and he smiled at her. "Yes, I knew her. I liked her and your dad. I met them before you were born, when the Bladeborn blew their way in to rescue Jan. There is not much I can do in the real world now, but I can help you. Or,_ we_ can."

Suddenly a woman in armor that looked odd was kneeling beside them and she was too was holding Zay as Zay fought to stop crying. Her armor wasn't Imperial, old style or First Order. It wasn't Mandalorian or anything Zay had ever heard of. Was that the symbol of the Old Republic on her shoulder? It wasn't the New Republic's insignia and her armor looked as old fashioned as the man's did.

"Easy, girl." The woman said softly. "It is all right. It is going to be all right. He didn't introduce himself, did he?" She asked sourly and Zay shook her head, having to smile even through her tears at the fondness mixed with exasperation in the woman's voice. "Really, Wil. Not everyone knows who you are. My name is Sharra. This nutcase's name is Wil."

"Well good." The man replied and Zay could not parse the emotions that sounded in his voice. "I don't want to frighten her."

"Let me handle this." Sharra said quietly. "You are good, but you are terrifying even when trying not to be."

"Who me?" The man asked with an innocent expression and Zay somehow managed a chuckle as the woman swatted at him. "Hey!"

"Get lost." The woman's tone was mild, but a command. "Jan, Ilosa and Tavion were right to call us in." She gave Zay a hug. "You are not alone, Zay. You will not face this alone."

"What is happening?" Zay asked as the man in armor vanished! Zay jerked but he was-

Wait a minute! Where was she?

She gave a cry as she recognized the place where she lay on the deck of. She was back in the hyperspace engineering compartment of the Star Destroyer where her mom had died! She turned her head to-

"_Look at me!_" Sharra commanded and Zay felt her head grasped in cold armored fingers. It turned her head so she looked the brown haired woman in the eyes. "Zay Versio. Mara Jade is trying to turn you into a monster, using techniques that were best forgotten. Even the Sith know better than to use these techniques, but Jade was commanded, so she obeyed. That does not excuse her and if _any_ of the current crop of Bladeborn get hold of her, the results will be quite messy."

"What did she do to me?" Zay managed as her tears slowed, but did not stop entirely.

"She could not touch you in the flesh and while your mom was alive, she could not touch your mind." Sharra's smile was a cold, grim thing. "Because your mom knew how to call for backup." Zay stared at her, uncomprehending. "Your mom and dad were soldiers. They did not understand the Force any more than _we_ did." Sharra's smile eased just a little. "The Bladeborn called us in because we spoke the same language they did. Imperial, Rebellion. First Order, Resistance. Empire, Republic. It is all the same in the mud and the blood. We disagree on tactics, on ideology, on so many things. But one thing, we always agree on. We are soldiers. We serve."

"Some… soldiers have… no choice..." Zay managed and Sharra sighed.

"True." Sharra agreed. "But in the end, we have more in common with each other than with some fat politician in an ivory tower or some dark armored wacko with crazy powers. Iden was my friend. You are the daughter of my friend. You are about to face something truly horrifying and you will _not_ face it alone." Steel would have bent away from her tone.

"I don't _understand!_" Zay all but shouted that as she fought the woman's grip that tightened on her jaw and another hand clamped on her arm so tight it hurt.

"You are about to." Sharra's voice was grim as the world shifted.

A soft, almost sultry voice sounded and Zay turned her head the other way to see an old flame haired woman in what looked like a medical tunic standing nearby. Sharra had vanished and Zay stood alone in a white room. She was bound! Zay struggled, but it was hopeless! She was held in some kind of form fitting jacket that held her arms to her sides and clasped them in front of her! When she tried to speak, she couldn't!

"There you are, girl." The woman nodded. "Have no fear. I will not harm you, Zay Versio." Her smile was sad. She stepped forward to take Zay's arm in a grip that was both gentle and firm. "I never wanted harm to you _or_ your siblings. Please believe me, I _never_ wanted _that_."

Jade! This was Jade! Zay's fear vanished in a haze of warmth that came from the grip on her hand and she was suddenly lying on something that felt yielding underneath her. More warmth surrounded her head and she relaxed against her will as whatever held her vanished along with her clothes! She felt terror rise, but then a sheet covered her. Protecting her modesty?

"Untouched." Jade's voice sounded very sad now. "Aw, fierfek, girl. I don't need you _unsullied _or whatever. You have never felt a lover's touch?" She sounded upset, but for Zay? Something touched Zay's brow and she felt comfort from the other. Odd. She stared up and Jade's eyes were glistening as she stood beside whatever Zay lay on.

"Not… Not interested." Zay managed as the warmth suffused her. "I... No… Please..."

"I am not going to hurt you, girl. I am certainly not going to do anything of _that_ nature to you against your will!" Jade said firmly. "Not the least of which is that the Bladeborn can track you through that mark and if I hurt you in any way, they will make even more of a mess than they _have._" She snorted. "As hard as that is to believe, I know they can do worse. I am commanded to heal Rai and use her to access the Sitolon network. I need your cells to do that." Jade laid the back of her hand against Zay's cheek and the old woman sighed. "I know you are afraid. I know why. You have cause. I have done awful things and what is worse? I knew they were wrong. The Emperor commanded and I could not disobey. Rai tried to help me, but I am too far gone. Death is the only release from my slavery and it cannot come soon enough. I wanted power and I got it." She shook her head. "And so much more than I ever imagined in my worst nightmares."

Something changed and Zay felt pressure on her skull. Nothing hurt, but she felt so very odd.

"What are you doing?" Zay managed to say.

"Trying to save Rai. She is the key to all of this." Jade replied. "She is the sole light in my life now, drowned in so much darkness as I have been for so long. I could not take Skywalker's offer. I could not let him fall as I have. As strong and focused as he is? He would have. No one has any chance against the true enemy. The Emperor has had a long time to plan such things and no matter what some may believe, there are few limits when the Force is involved. For every darkness, there is light. For every light, there is darkness. You have been touched by darkness. My own and the First Order's." A soft hand caressed Zay's cheek again. "But there _is_ hope, Zay Versio. You can save Jan Orrs and you must!"

"What?" Zay asked, flummoxed as the warmth surrounded her, blinding her.

"Find the splinter, Zay Versio." Jade's voice was fading. "Save Rai if you can! Save Jan! Save the Bladeborn from _themselves!_"

A cold flash-

Zay knelt on the floor of the Star Destroyer, holding her mother's still form as Iden breathed her last. She screamed in remembered pain and fear even as her com chimed and she heard Shriv calling. She stared at her mother's corpse and then she slowly shook her head.

"A memory." Zay reached out to slowly shut her mother's eyes as she had on that horrible ship. "This is a memory. My worst moment."

"Yes." Sharra's voice heralded the armored woman appearing nearby. Her head was uncovered, but her face was as impassive as a full helmet would be. "What Jade just did pushed you back to face it." Zay stared at her and the woman shook her head. "The woman is selfish and blinkered, but she is not stupid. Hurting you is a bad idea, but you _have_ to face this or this will torment you far worse than any physical torture ever could. Worse than any Force power." Sharra slumped. "There are no enemies worse than the ones we create for ourselves."

"I failed her." Zay said weakly, staring at where her mother lay. "I should have-" She broke off as Sharra stepped forward and hugged her tight.

"You were _alone _on a ship filled with enemies_!_" Sharra snapped. "You had to hack the systems! She covered you! It was what she did! Covered her team! Hask was an overwhelming foe! He was Iden's equal in many ways! What else could you _do?_"

"How do you know that?" Zay stiffened. "No one knows that. Not even Shriv knows… this..." She tared around and the room was _exactly_ as she remembered. "This is..." She backed away from Sharra who let her go. "This is not possible!"

"We are in your mind." Sharra said quietly, not moving. "Anything is possible here."

"_Anything?_" Zay demanded and froze utterly solid as an impossible voice sounded behind her.

"Yeah, Zay." The voice was warm, calm and held just a hint of ironic humor. Zay turned her head and her mom stood there, but… _Not_ her mom! The body had vanished. This woman wore armor that was both familiar and not. Zay had seen the armor a few times, but Iden had never worn it after she had defected to the Rebellion. The woman who stood there wore her old Imperial Inferno Squad armor! She took off her helmet and Iden Versio's ironic smile was so familiar it hurt! "Anything at all."

"Mom?" Zay didn't dare move.

"I am a memory, Zay. No more." The armored woman also did not move. "There is so much I want to say, but I can't. So much I want to do and I can't. All I can say is this: It was not your fault, Zay. You know that."

"I... I do, but..." Zay shook her head savagely. "I should have been better. Faster!"

"You did everything you could." Iden's tone was sort of gentle, but sort of not. "Let me go, Zay. You have to let me go."

"_NO!_" Zay screamed as she grabbed for her mother, but Iden was out of reach and no matter how Zay struggled, she couldn't reach the woman who stood there, impassive. "I can't! Mom! Don't leave me!"

"I had my time, Zay. It ended." Iden's voice should have been drowned out by Zay's screams, but it wasn't. "I did good and I did evil. I saw good in evil and evil in good." She shook her head. "You knew that I was going to pass away, Zay. I never made any bones about that."

"I know." Zay had stopped flailing now and Sharra stepped up to fold the girl in her arms as Zay started to cry again. "But… Not like _that!_"

"Hask would have killed you without a second thought." Iden was still quiet. "I did what I had to and I managed to save you from him. I have no regrets. His hate made him what he was. I knew hate. I knew it well, Zay. Del and I made a better life for ourselves. _You_ were a surprise, but a welcome one." She smiled at Zay who stared at her. "Lots of work, mind you, but that is parenthood for you." Her smile faded. "The rest? Jan is a good woman, Zay. She will not forsake you and yes. You remembered right. Kyle and Jan you can trust with that. Trust _no one else_." Sharra nodded firmly, but remained silent.

"Not even Shriv?" Zay begged and Iden sighed.

"Shriv is a good soul, Zay, but you of all people know what lurks in his heart after so long fighting." The one time leader of Inferno Squad said with a frown. "The Rebellion, the Resistance, all he _knows_ is war. I hoped he might find a better way someday like I did, but in my heart, I knew he wouldn't. That he never would forgive himself for staying alive when so many of his comrades did not."

"He was on Hoth." Zay said softly and Iden nodded. "I… I didn't know."

"He rarely talked about it. He wasn't there when the Empire hit the place." Iden slumped a bit. "He came back to find it ashes. Nothing but bodies and blasted rubble. Inferno Squad not involved, but we might as well have been. We would have done the same." She made a face. "Or worse."

"You are not who you were." Zay said softly. "He is not who he was. You helped him."

"Some." Iden allowed. "He stayed at first to keep an eye on me and Del." Then she smirked. "Or as he always put it 'To limit the collateral damage'."

"_Mom!_" Zay giggled through her tears. Her mother had always been able to make her laugh.

"Hey, Del and I were _not_ subtle when we got going." Iden had a soft, fond smile on her face now. "Zay. You have to let me go." Zay shook her head, but Iden would not be denied. "This fixation is hurting you, girl. The Bladeborn will not allow you to hurt. Hence why Jan and Ilosa pulled a lot of strings to get me here." Zay stared at her mom and Iden shook her head. "I cannot say. Do not ask!"

"If this is not real… Then… Nothing that happens here will matter, will it?" Zay pleaded and both armored women shared a glance. Then Iden smiled and stepped forward. Zay went still as her mother hugged her and Sharra joined the embrace.

"It might." Iden allowed as Zay embraced her back. "But I find I don't care much. Be good, Zay Versio. Follow your heart."

Then, the armored woman was gone, but Zay was not crying now. Instead, she was smiling as warm, healing softness enfolded her. She was twisting, falling into darkness, but not afraid now.

* * *

Somewhere

_Thank you, Wil. I know that cost you and yours far more than most would believe._

_You are welcome, Iden. You and Del made a good one there. Even if you were not my distant descendant, I would be tempted to help her. Nikis didn't mind. He wanted to keep an eye on Catherine and can't come himself without causing far too many problems. I may have a problem with those arrogant lying dragons, but Nikis? He has proven himself to me and mine.  
_

_Now, all she has to do is get away from the Bladeborn long enough to save them._

_Easier said than done._

_You know? When you recruited me, I thought this would be the hardest job I could imagine. But thinking? Protecting this reality from intrusions _**might **_be easier._

_No joke._


	16. Chapter 16

**After**

Zay woke up aware of oddities.

She was warm, dry, clean. She was alone in the bed she was lying in, but she was not alone in the room. A woman sat in a chair beside her bed. But… This wasn't any being that Zay had met. This female human form wore armor that looked nothing like anything Zay had ever seen. She nodded as Zay stared at her. When she spoke, Zay jerked! Catherine!

"I am not human, Zay." Catherine held out a hand whose fingers ended in wicked claws instead of human shaped appendages. "I won't hurt you and if you are going to be hanging around Jan and her crazy kin? You deserve to know the truth."

"The.. The ship you were on blew up." Zay said weakly. The head of the form gave another recognizable nod. Was that a _tail_ that came up from behind the chair to twine around her? "I know you are a Masterblade but..."

Only Zay and Shriv had been worried at all when the ship Catherine had been fighting on had blown up. Everyone else had just said 'She will be back' no matter how Zay had pressed.

"'Masterblade' is pretty much all I can tell you about what I am." Catherine said quietly as her form morphed into the woman that Zay had met in the cantina. "I am Bladeborn and I am still worried about you." She smiled at Zay's confused expression. "You remember your dream?"

"How do you know about that?" Zay demanded, sitting up and pulling the sheet that covered her up around her.

"I was one of the ones who argued to let you see her and talk to her, one last time." Catherine was sad, so very sad. "I barely remember my mother at all. She died when I was very young. My parents died and I became the metal form you just saw. I am not human, but I follow ancient traditions. I defend those who cannot defend themselves. You were unable to defend yourself before. You were weak, sick and under mental attack from Mara Jade. Now? You are safe, strong and defended."

"She... She was there. Jade." Zay gulped and Catherine nodded.

"I know." Catherine said softly. "I know what Jade told you. I know what your mom told you. You are going after the splinter." That was not a question. "The Bladeborn will not let you go into such danger." The woman who wasn't one warned as she looked at the floor. "I… I shouldn't let you. I cannot interfere but so much, but I do not want you to fall into this mess. For make no mistake, a mess is what this is."

"What do you know?" Zay demanded tightly. Inwardly, she quailed to _demand_ anything of such a powerful warrior, but Catherine just smiled.

"Far more than I should." Far from offended, Catherine's smile was fond! Zay relaxed. "Too much information can cause just as many problems as too little. I know far too much _about_ far too much to be able to share any of it safely. All I can do is be here. I have a quest of my own, but your need called to me. I will not forsake you." She promised. "That said? Do not trust me to save you. I am so very limited in what I can do here.

"Save me from who?" Zay asked slowly.

"_That_ is a very good question." Catherine slumped. "The Bladeborn are falling, Zay." Zay went still and Catherine nodded. "This act, this _open_ act of defiance of both the Republic and the First Order will bring a great deal of conflict to this world. I cannot deny the Order's need to act on Kyle Katarn's wish. His desire to see his homeworld free of those who would enslave it was a noble wish, but _this_..." Catherine shook her head. "The Order hid for a very good reason. We Bladeborn walk a very dangerous line. We walk between Darkness and Light. Many have called us Grey, but we live to fight. We always have and we always will. It is what we do. The siren call of the Dark Side has lured many of us from our oaths over the millennia, and each time, the fallen slay themselves to atone. Coming out of the shadows was a bold step and I fear for my kindred. Jan is a good Grandmaster, but if they _lose_ her..." She trailed off as Zay reached out to take her hand.

"The splinter can heal Jan." Zay said softly.

"The Splinter of the Mind's Eye can do just about _anything_, Zay and there lies the danger." Catherine's voice was a bare whisper now.

"Who would not be tempted by such power?" Zay asked, her own voice barely audible. "I would. My parents may be gone, but I personally would want to help Shriv. I cannot, can I?"

"I don't think so. He has discipline and some training in mental fortitude, but if he touches the splinter, it will likely drive him mad." Catherine agreed sadly. "I have known many good soldiers like him. He has seen too much, done too much to be comfortable anywhere but fighting."

"I need to talk to him." Zay did not let go of Catherine's hand, but slid her legs off the bed, realizing she wore a clean jumpsuit. "Maybe Jan too. Masterblade Katarn is not back yet?"

"No." Catherine groaned halfheartedly. "That man is as stubborn as any Tenno I have known." She shook her head and frowned as Zay looked curious. "I should not have said that. Please do not ask."

"You make me more curious, but Mom did teach me about 'Need to know'." Zay felt grief rise, but she acknowledged it and let it pass. Catherine smiled at her, her own eyed hooded with sadness. "The Bladeborn cannot touch it either, can they?"

"I do not think _I_ can, Zay." Catherine warned as Zay rose to her feet, the Masterblade mirroring her. "You are strong of heart and strong of mind. You know the costs of rash actions. You know what the Force is and know some of what you do not know. You have anger, but understand it. You have few wants and fewer ambitions. You may very well be the only person in existence currently who can touch such a thing without fear. That makes you _very_ dangerous. To others..." She broke off as Zay gave her hand a squeeze.

"And to myself." Zay mused. "If I were to use such power rashly, such as to try and bring Mom and Dad back..." She trailed off with a moan as Catherine made a face.

"It wouldn't end well." Catherine's tone boded. "You _might_ be able to make copies, but that is all they would be. Copies."

"Copies I made to serve me. Slaves in all but name." Zay said quietly and Catherine nodded. "I will not be that." She snarled, but not at Catherine. "Can you stop me if I go too far?" Catherine recoiled.

"You do not know what you are saying, Zay." The woman was clearly upset now.

"Can? You? Stop? Me?" Zay demanded tightly. "Jade was in my mind! My mother told me not to trust any but Jan and Kyle. She didn't say anything at all about you." She paused and then stiffened. "She couldn't, could she?" Catherine did not move and Zay slowly shook her head. "You are not from around here, are you?"

"Zay, please drop this." Catherine pleaded. "You will sleep far better not knowing." Zay let got of her hand and crossed her arms across her chest. "Zay..." Catherine pleaded.

"Can you stop me if I go too far?" Zay's voice was quiet, but intense.

"I do not want to." Catherine said sadly. "You have been hurt enough."

"Pain is one of the things that defines 'life', Masterblade." Zay said sternly. "I was ordered to find allies for the Resistance. The Bladeborn have a bad history with the Republic, but what about with the Resistance?"

"When Leia Organa founded the Resistance to fight the First Order, few took it seriously. Jan and Kyle did, but they were limited in what they could do. That said? _All_ of them were Republic soldiers." Catherine slumped a bit. "We are slow to trust, my kin and I."

"I do not ask trust." Zay bent down to pull her boots close and then she sat on the bed to pull them on. "Trust must be earned. Shriv will want to stay with me, but I have hurt him enough. I know he is grieving for my mother and father just as I am. They were kin in a way. Not from birth, but from the wars they fought together."

"Battle kin." Catherine said quietly and Zay looked at her, eyes wide. "The bonds formed in such a dire straits can be just as strong as those formed by more relaxed relationships. They do not always make any sense to those of us who were not there, but I know Shriv loved your mother and father. I can feel his pain every time I look at him. If you leave him behind, it will hurt him."

"I won't." Zay promised and Catherine stared at her.

"That tone is so familiar." Catherine said very slowly. "And why do I sense amusement from you now?" She frowned as Zay grinned. "Girl..."

"Trust me." The girl said with a wide eyed fake earnestness that was utterly at odds with her normal demeanor. Catherine glared at her, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Do I look that stupid?" Zay's grin got huge and Catherine was quick to continue. "Don't answer that!"

"Spoilsport." Zay had her boots on now and rose to her feet. "I need to talk to Shriv and Jan."

"Jan is in Tavion's care and should wake in an hour or so." Catherine shook her head as Zay started for the door. "Zay… Please…?" She all but begged.

"I will need help and I need someone who can stop me if I go too far." Zay said quietly as she came to the door and it did not open. She looked at Catherine who sighed. "The Resistance needs allies and your Bladeborn need help. Trust has to start _somewhere_. Jan needs help. I will give it."

"At what _cost_, Zay Versio?" Catherine moved to the door and it opened for her. Zay paused as a small female Duros in dark brown armor did the same from the other side. Had she been reaching for the intercom? "Ah, Bladeborn Jinso Vun?"

"Apologies, Masterblade." The Duros wasn't young. "I was told Zay Versio was awake and hoped to speak with her."

Zay stared as Catherine looked from the Duros to her and _smiled_. Before Zay could find her tongue, Catherine spoke.

"She is awake and we are going to speak with her companion." What was in Catherine's tone? It was seriously odd. Humor mixed with something else. Something deeper, kinder, more compassionate. "Would you care to tag along, Bladeborn?"

"I should not." The Bladeborn looked embarrassed! Zay knew Duros body language well after so long around her Uncle. Why would this-? _Oh._ Zay looked at Catherine whose minute nod was likely not clear to the all but wilting female outside.

"I am told the Grandmaster is sleeping. I have no intention of daring Tavion's wrath to wake her for my own selfish needs." Zay smiled at the Duros as both the alien and Catherine winced. "My name is Zay Versio as you know. May I know your name, Bladeborn?"

"My name is Jinso Vun, Zay Versio." The Duros gave Zay a half bow. "I knew your companion a long time ago. When I heard he had come, I asked to be granted time to speak with him. I was granted time from my duties, but I find I do not have the courage to do so. To speak with him."

"'Courage'?" Zay inquired carefully.

"I was on Hoth, Ma'am." Jinso Vun said sadly. "I met Shriv Surgaav there. We worked together and..." She broke off, clearly unsure.

"What happened?" Zay asked as she stepped out into the hall. The Duros made way for her and Catherine followed.

"I do not remember." Jinso Vun said quietly. "I was fighting a team of snowtroopers and then I woke up aboard a Rebellion medical frigate. That was almost a year after Endor. They told me that I had been found in a cell in an Imperial research lab. That I had been unconscious in Alliance care for six months." She slumped a bit. "I don't know what happened, but I _do _know the Empire captured me and did something to me. I didn't have the Force before. Now I do. They made me even more monstrous than I was."

"Jinso Vun." Catherine's tone was both warm _and_ warning, as odd as that sounded.

"Yes, Masterblade." Zay stared as the Bladeborn all but clicked her heels together. "I knew the Empire did something to me and I feared what I would do, so I fled. I avoided Skywalker but eventually ran into the Bladeborn who took me in and gave me shelter despite my struggles. I found a better way with the Bladeborn. Shriv was not there when I was taken, but he came when I woke. We talked a bit, after I woke. I would like to talk to my old comrade if I may?" Her tone was odd. Wistful and hopeful, but also worried? Scared almost. Zay looked at Catherine who shrugged.

"You are lots of help." Zay complained. She discarded subtlety and spoke from her heart. "Are you a threat to my Uncle?" The Duros met her gaze calmly.

"I do not not believe so, but I do not know." Jinso Vun replied. "He has no family left and neither do I. We are all that remain of the Duros who were on Hoth. Maybe I am a threat? Tavion, Jan and others can find nothing, but the Empire was _nothing_ if not ingenious in trying to find ways to subvert people to their Emperor's will. I give you my word, I am no _conscious_ threat to you or him even if he attacks me." She nodded to Catherine. "I am also no match for the Masterblade and will abide by any restrictions she decrees."

"I believe you." Zay held put her hand and after a moment, the Duros took it. Zay gave a firm squeeze. "Please believe _this_: If you hurt him, I will kill you." The Duros stared at her and then shook her head.

"You do not know what I did for the Alliance." Jinso Vun said softly. "What I do for the Bladeborn."

"No I do not and I do not _care_." Zay did not release the other's hand. "I have been around dangerous people my whole life. I bet you can kill me in at least five different ways right here, right now. Would that help matters?"

"Seven. And no." Jinso Vun replied, not off put at all. If anything? She _relaxed_ a little. "You are a very strange human, Zay Versio." She sounded bemused. Both Catherine and Zay chortled at that.

"It has been said." Zay paused and then shook her head. "This is not an attack." She said formally as she slowly pulled the suddenly still Duros close and then, just as slowly _embraced_ her. The Duros was frozen solid as Zay hugged her once and released her. Catherine had gone totally still and her hand was held oddly as if gripping something that could not be seen.

"You are _insane!_" Jinso Vun said weakly as Zay let go of her hand and stepped back. "Do you have _any_ idea what I am?"

"Someone who is alone and hurting." Zay said through suddenly blurred eyes. "Just like me." She looked at Catherine who smiled and relaxed.

"She is true Bladeborn, Zay." Catherine reassured the girl. "We count lies as dishonorable. Often needed but never desired." The human looking being shook her head. "That _was_ insane and please do not give me any more heart attacks." Jinso Vun nodded quickly as the Duros took three fast steps back. "That said? Jinso Vun is a good soul, has incredible discipline of both mind and body and she means what she says. She walks the Bladeborn path well."

"I go to talk to my uncle." Zay said softly as she gave the Duros a half bow of her own. "I would honored to have you accompany me, Bladeborn Jinso Vun. Whatever may or may not have happened to you, you earned my admiration for serving in the Rebellion. Just the stories Shriv has shared have been harrowing."

"I do not doubt it. We both saw our share." The Duros said with a small, sad smile of memory. "We did what we had to do."

"Mom said the same. She always said she wasn't a hero." Zay looked at Catherine who nodded and started off, but indicated that Zay walk with her. Zay did, hurrying to keep up with the Masterblade's strides. "That she fought beside heroes."

"I never faced your mother." Jinso Vun said as she followed a few steps behind. "Probably a good thing."

There really wasn't much that could be said to that, so Zay remained silent as Catherine led her through halls that were familiar. The walls were not metal, but some kind of bio-tech. The walk was not long before Catherine hit a panel next to a door and Shriv's voice came.

"Enter." The Duros sounded bemused as Zay and Catherine entered. He was reading, but nodded to the pair. Then he went utterly still as he saw who had followed. His eyes bulged even wider than Zay had thought a Duros' eyes could get. The Duros was out of his chair and on his feet in an instant, his datapad falling from his hand to clatter to the floor. "You?"

"Hello, Shriv Surgaav." Jinso Vun said very quietly. "It has been a very long time."

"It has." Shriv said weakly. "I… Jinso… I… _I looked for you!_" He backed up almost all the way to the wall. Zay stiffened. What was in his tone? Anger? Self loathing and so much more. Jinso Vun moved to one side, not hostile, scared and sad.

"I could not stay there, Shriv Surgaav." Jinso Vun said quietly. "You know what the Empire did to prisoners. When they told me Skywalker was coming to talk to me… I had to leave. I could not take the chance. You know what I am. What I was. If they had programmed me to kill him..." Her face fell. "I am sorry I never answered you. I knew it was going to hurt, but I had to flee, Shriv. I had to. There is no place in the New Republic for my kind."

"Bullshit!" Shriv all but threw that word at the other Duros who recoiled a little. "We could have made a place! Together!"

"And if I killed _you?_" Jinso Vun was crying softly now. She turned to the door, but Zay was blocking it. "Zay Versio, please move."

"No." Zay shook her head as Catherine moved to stand beside her. "This needs to be addressed. You are both hurting and you do not need to."

"You are _crazy,_ human!" Jinso Vun said savagely, but Shriv had moved. She backed up, but hit the wall. "Shriv, no..."

"I reaffirm what I said before. I do so now before these two witnesses as well as whoever is watching the security cams." Shriv smiled grimly as Zay jumped. "Yes, we are being watched, Zay. Remember that."

"I will, Uncle." Zay promised as Shriv stepped all the way up to Jinso Vun who was shaking her head, but did not retreat further.

"Shriv! You are as crazy as she is!" The female Duros protested.

"She is crazy, Jinso. But in this? She is right." Shriv was close enough now. He reached out to slowly touch the female Duros' cheek. "I searched for you. You went to them?"

"I sought death and it never found me." Jinso said weakly as Shriv stroked her cheek.

"Probably took one look at you and ran away, ya crazy SpecForce fool." The male Duros shook his head. "I _thought_ I recognized that style in the spaceport. You are _still_ using that antique projectile sniper rifle?" Was he _teasing_ her?

"Blasters cannot be silenced." Jinso replied. "I… Shriv… No..." She all but begged. "I have too many souls bearing down on my own. I am not clean."

"I don't care. I have waited almost thirty years. I am _not_ waiting any longer." Shriv turned to glare at Catherine and Zay. "Out! Now!"

Both human nodded. Both made for the door as Jinso tried to protest, but Shriv hugged her tight. Only after they left the room did Catherine smile at Zay who returned it. Catherine spoke to empty air.

"My authorization, emergency monitoring only for this compartment." Zay looked at her as a soft acknowledgment came from a hidden speaker. Catherine shrugged. "Neither of them are teenagers anymore. Better safe than sorry. I hope you like having a Bladeborn aunt."

"Like I have a _choice?_"

"True."


	17. Chapter 17

**Ringers**

"Out of the question."

Zay fought hard not to sigh as Jan shook her head. The girl had known coming into this meeting that it would not be an easy sell. She had hoped to talk to Jan privately, but Catherine had not left her side. Tavion and Aeron were in and out. Other Bladeborn were on duty. Some were guarding Jan. At least one that Zay had seen was following her. Knowing these people? That meant she had missed one or two. Catherine and Zay had been to see Ilosa and the kids. It was still hard, seeing them, but they _were_ good kids.

"Grandmaster Orrs..." Zay started, but broke off as Jan smiled at her.

"You can call me 'Jan', Zay." The chairbound woman said gently. "You are not my subordinate."

"I _hope_ to be your ally." Zay replied, fighting for calm and succeeding. "Even if General Organa had not asked me and Shriv to find allies, Mom said I could trust you. She did not trust easily."

"No, she did not." Jan's face fell. "Iden had every reason never to trust at all, yet she dared to. We shared a horrible experience, and it marked us both. She asked us to stay away and we did. Our lives are fraught with peril and she wanted a better life for you than always running."

"She..." Zay swallowed hard before continuing. "What Mom did… I understand why she and Dad never told me I had siblings. I would not have taken it well." Jan made a face and nodded slightly. "I am still young, _Grandmaster_." She enunciated the title carefully. "But I try to be respectful of those who earn my respect. With what you have done for my brother and sister? You Bladeborn have earned my respect."

"Part of our Code is to aid children in distress." Jan said quietly. "Far too often, we cannot. Circumstances often force us to pass by instead of aiding. It never sits well. We live in a harsh galaxy. The strong often take from the weak and the good people do nothing for fear of complication or repercussion. We do what we can and aiding your siblings was a good thing."

"I agree." Zay said quietly. "But that leaves me in your debt."

"Zay." Jan chided her. "There can be no debt if we _choose_ to do such."

"A debt of honor." Zay glowered at the grandmaster who seemed to stiffen. "I do not speak the language you do, but I believe that is part of your code." Every single Bladeborn in the room went still at that and Jan sighed.

"It is." The paralyzed woman would not meet Zay's eyes. "Zay, we cannot allow this. The splinter you speak of is _incredibly_ dangerous. It is an artifact that gave both Master Jedi _and_ Sith Lords pause." Zay did not react as Catherine stepped closer to her. "Masterblade..." Jan warned.

"Zay is no child, Grandmaster." Catherine said quietly. "She understands the danger as best she can. She desires to settle a debt of honor. Despite appearances, she is not stupid." The glance she sent Zay was sardonic and Zay made a face. "She does not need my protection now, but I find I like her." The Tenno Bladeborn shook her head. "That is not always a good thing." She warned Zay.

"Nothing I have ever seen is entirely good or entirely bad." Zay was just as quiet. "I do find it odd that both Mom _and_ Jade asked me to save you, Grandmaster Orrs." Jan stared at her and then at Catherine who shrugged.

"Don't look at me." Catherine said quickly. "I was barely involved. You know how Wil gets."

"I do." Was that a shiver that went down Jan's immobile body? "And I thought _Kyle_ was stubborn sometimes. But why would Jade of all people want me to live? I will tear her apart if I ever meet her again."

"I do not know." Zay admitted. "Frankly? I do not care. Mom asked me to do something. I am going to do it." She did not move, made no gesture at all, but everyone could see she was set. Jan looked at Catherine who shook her head. Zay stilled. Catherine had used the Force to 'suggest' to that First Order officer to leave back in the cantina where they had met. When Catherine spoke, it was calm and considered.

"No. She is very strong willed. If we try to Mind Trick her, it would not hold. She will be _very_ annoyed with us when she realizes what happened." Catherine shrugged. "With cause. We should not trample on her honor simply to appease our own." She crossed her arms. "I would find such a request dishonorable."

Calm. Clear. _Merciless_. Oh dear. The tension in the room had only seemed high before. Now it skyrocketed! No one moved as Jan and Catherine glared at one another. Both stiffened as Zay spoke.

"No." Zay said quietly. "Masterblade, stand down. She is trying to do as she believes is right. We may not agree with her, but she is trying to do what she thinks is right." Catherine did not move and Zay sighed. "Please? I wish no conflict between your kin over me."

"She is going, Jan." Catherine warned. "With our aid or without, she _will_ go. Anyone who gets in her way will get run over." The Masterblade shook her head. "I have seen such determination far too many times to assume that she can be dissuaded. She has made up her mind. Changing her mind with the Force would be wrong. She is trying to help. Do we chastise her for such a wish?"

"If I could _feel_ my butt, it would be hurting." Jan complained. "You are _such_ a pain, Catherine." Zay could not restrain a small smile as Catherine made a 'who me?' gesture. Zay sobered as Jan looked at her. "Zay Versio, we Bladeborn failed your mother and father. You owe us _nothing!_"

"My honor says otherwise, Grandmaster." Zay said quietly. "I know you want to see me safe. I thank you for your aid and care, but I have to do this. _Mom_ asked me to do this. Not for the Resistance. Not for the Republic. For _you_."

"I..." For the first time, Jan seemed at a loss for words. "Zay, I..."

"Jinso Vun may or may not be my aunt now, but you _are_." Zay said firmly when she was sure Jan wasn't going to speak again. "I will help my aunt if I can. Mom never asked me to do things that she knew I could not do. She thought I could do this. I do not know why."

"The splinter amplifies the Force." Catherine said quietly. "It was intended as a focus for such. No one knows who made it or why, but it is very similar to crystals that we _do_ know and understand. Crystals that are very dangerous in the wrong hands. We Bladeborn learned about such." Zay looked at her and Catherine shrugged. "That is a very long story."

"I was told that the Force is in all things." Zay said slowly and everyone nodded. "So, if I were to pick it up..." She trailed off.

"We do not know what would happen, Zay." Jan admitted. "And that scares me. A lot." Zay thought about that and then shook her head. Jan groaned. "Zay..."

"Mom would not have asked if it wasn't important." Zay allowed. "I think I know the name of the system where it may be hidden, but I know nothing about the world. I know I would need help. I am not silly enough to think I can do such alone." Catherine moved to stand right beside her, facing Jan. No words were spoken, but the intent was clear. Catherine was with Zay.

"I want to hold you here. To keep you safe." Jan said sadly. "But if I do such against your will? That would break you as surely as any torture would. Ah, Zay..." Jan sighed deeply. "Where?"

"Mickey's World." Zay said quietly and Jan stared at her. "Hidden in plain sight."

"You are joking!" Jan snapped. "There are what? Ten or fifteen million visitors to that world annually? There is no way something like that could be hidden there!"

"At the main resorts, no." Zay replied, still calm and Jan stared at her. "There are many resorts on that world, some most definitely _not_ for families."

"I do not know this Mickey's World." Catherine said slowly. "What is it? From your words… Some kind of tourist attraction?" She queried. Jan and Zay shared a glance and then Zay spoke up.

"If you are prone to understatement, yes." Zay made a face. "It is probably the biggest single amusement park in the galaxy. It is run by the Corporate Sector Authority." Catherine stared at her and Zay shrugged. "An entire planet, filled with amusements for all kinds." She paused and made a face. "_All_ kinds."

"_All?_" Catherine echoed a bit weakly. Jan and Zay nodded. "Oh dear."

"Light, dark. Benevolent, sadistic and everything in between. We have known Jade has influence with the CSA, the organization that owns it." Jan mused. "And we know the First Order has a presence there." Catherine stilled and Jan looked at her. "Masterblade?"

"A tremor in the Force." Catherine said softly. "Like when I met Zay." She smiled at Zay. "I am on the right track."

"You said you are hunting your boys who were taken from you." Zay frowned and Catherine nodded. "That is…" She broke off and shrugged. "I want to say that is a bit against the odds, but what are odds when the Force is involved?"

"Meaningless." Jan and Catherine chorused and shared a grim smile.

Zay looked at Catherine who shook her head and looked at Jan. The Bladeborn grandmaster was clearly unhappy, but she was thinking hard.

"Not alone." Jan said after a long moment. "You two are likely to stick out and if the First Order has an arrest order out for you, Zay, then it will have gone everywhere they have influence. Pass the wrong droid or scanner station and you are caught."

"I know how to sneak!" Zay protested but carefully. Jan was not happy.

"I do not doubt that your mother taught you how to do such." Jan reassured Zay who relaxed. "But we have specialists in that." She sighed. "You have to go and the Masterblade won't leave your side." She mock snarled at Catherine who remained impassive, except… Was that a wink? It was! "Catherine." She warned.

"You know I am not alone. I am being led this way, Grandmaster Orrs." Catherine said with a smile. "And I like Zay. I have no love for amusement parks, but I do know what they are and what they do."

"There will be _hordes_ of children there." Jan all but moaned that. "Any kind of fight would endanger many."

"Which is likely why whoever placed it there did so." Catherine said with a frown. "To keep us from looking too closely at the place." Zay looked at her and Catherine shook her head. "We have many secrets. Please do not ask, Zay."

"I won't." Zay reassured the not-human Masterblade. "I do not know exactly where it is, but I do know they have several habitats with scenery similar to what is depicted in the story I was told as a child."

"That does make a certain amount of sense." Jan sighed dramatically. "Not that _any_ of this does." She complained and Zay smiled in commiseration.

"The Nest cannot leave Sulon. That means you have to stay, Grandmaster. Tavion will not let you out of her clutches." Catherine said softly and Jan made a face. "I bet Kyle will come as soon as he hears."

"No bet." Jan looked at Zay and shook her head. "You do not go alone." That was both warning and command. Zay nodded.

"Who then?" Catherine inquired, her face impassive.

"If the First Order _is_ there, then they will have access to all the security systems." Jan mused. "You will need a team to get into those. Preferably sneaky types who can fight." She shook her head. "Sev is probably the best we have for such."

"Shriv will demand to come." Zay said softly and Jan nodded, her face stern. "I do not know Jinso Vun except from one meeting, but she strikes me as similarly stubborn."

"She is. Jinso has worried me since I met her." Jan was sad now. "She is a good soul, but burdened by all of what she has done and whatever was done to her. If she and your Uncle can find some happiness in their horror filled lives, then I will not stand in their way. If they and Sev agree, they can act as security for you as cover. Would you mind playing a role of Catherine's daughter?"

"I would be honored." Zay smiled at the Masterblade who looked a bit surprised, but then pleased. "But three guards would be a bit much for only two of us."

"There will be more than two." Jan replied, her eyes on something only she could see. "Aeron is the best we have with tech, but she has trained Jacen well. Tavion has Jaina well in hand as well."

"Jan..." Catherine said very slowly. "If those two are _seen…_ That will complicate things."

"Things will be complicated no matter what." Jan said softly. "It is time the galaxy knew exactly how far Jade went. How many she hurt. How horribly she treated so many." Zay stared at her and Jan sighed. "Your brother and sister would love to go to such a place, but we could not keep them safe there. Jacen and Jaina now? They are Bladeborn. Young, but capable." She shook her head. "And… No one will be looking for _them_."

"Until they show their faces." Catherine protested. "Then, oh my god, the _press!_"

"What is wrong?" Zay asked, worry rising.

"Jade and her cronies hurt so many." Jan said quietly. "Jacen and Jaina are on their way. When you see them, you will understand. I asked Sev to come too. He is grumpy, but no one blames him." Zay stared at her, but Jan shut her mouth. Zay looked at Catherine, but the Masterblade was shaking her head, mouth set in a grim line.

It wasn't long before the door opened and a mountain in armor entered the chamber. Zay stared. That armor wasn't anything she knew. It looked old. Not Republic, First Order, Rebellion or Empire. Older, but well cared for and functional. Was that a red hand print on the helmet? Why was that so familiar? The two humans who followed wore brown Bladeborn armor but no helmets and their faces… Zay inhaled sharply as she saw their faces. The boy and girl were almost her age and both looked like _Leia Organa!_ Before anyone else could speak, Zay did.

"If you Bladeborn do not kill Mara Jade, I _will_." Zay's quiet voice stilled the room as what had to be young clones of Leia Organa stared at her. She looked for permission from Jan who nodded. Then she stepped forward to stand in front of the pair. Both met her gaze calmly. "My name is Zay Versio. May I know yours?" She asked respectfully.

"My name is Jaina." The girl was a bit timid but her gaze was firm.

"My name is Jacen." The boy was anything but timid. Not brash, but confident.

Zay stared at them for a long moment and then she stepped forward, opening her arms. The girl swept into them instantly, hugging her tight. The boy hesitated for a moment, but then joined the embrace.

"I do not have the Force." Zay said into the sudden silence. "But I do know what honor is. My mother knew the difference between right and wrong. She did her duty to the best of her ability until it collided with her honor. Did Leia Organa know?"

"She did." The girl said weakly as Zay held her. "We met her and she said she loved us, but… We are just copies."

"You are _people!_" Zay snapped and both of the unlikely siblings stiffened at the vehemence in her voice. "You are not better or worse than anyone else. _Why?_" She all but spat that word at Jan who sighed. "Why not let them stay with her?"

"They would not have been safe with her." Jan said sadly. "She wanted them to stay. To meet their biological father, but Jade had a lot of influence in the darker side of the Republic. There were three attempts to capture or kill them on the day they met with their mother. Leia _wanted _to keep you, she did love you both."

"We know." Jacen was putting on a brave front but he was clearly as upset as his sister. "We felt her die. She reached out to us and it felt…comforting." He sounded a bit dubious and who could blame him?

"I didn't think Force users could be cloned." Zay said a bit weakly as Jaina fought to keep from crying. She just held the girl as Jacen retreated a bit.

"Jade breaks _every_ law, why not laws of _nature_ too?" Catherine's tone was savage but no one minded. "The Empire did a lot of things that no one sane tried under the Republic. For very good reason." Zay looked at her and then at Jaina who gave a sob.

"What happened?" Zay asked the crying girl.

"We had a brother." Jaina said weakly. "He was sick and died." Zay hung her head and Jaina bowed hers. "He was so small. So tiny and so brave. He died free of the horrible lab. He did not have a name until Mom... Until we told Mom."

"Leia was _incensed_ when we told her what we found in that lab. Not with the kids. She named them all. She called the poor soul 'Anakin' after her father." Jan said quietly as Jaina fought for control and managed. The girl smiled at Zay who gave her another squeeze and let the girl go. "She was a Senator at the time and constrained in many ways, but she did love her children very much. Both her natural born son and the ones Jade made from what she stole."

"That woman needs to _die_." Zay's tone might have frozen a star.

"Yes, she does." The mountain in archaic armor rumbled. Zay looked at him and he nodded to her. "RC-1207 reporting, Zay Versio."

Wait a minute… Zay _knew_ that designation! She knew the armor! Not from her parents! From her own studies of the Clone Wars! He and his squad had been a pivotal force in several campaigns during that awful conflict. He had been listed as MIA after the Battle of Kashyyk. So… She so wanted to know, but now was not the time.

"Commando." Zay said softly and Sev inclined his head to her. The girl looked at the odd assortment in front of her and then at Jan who nodded. "I assume you have a plan?"

"You assume correctly."


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the delay. Life is so much fun at times. Should be able to post a bit more frequently now that I have finances straight again. I hope.**

* * *

**Of rodents and relations**

"This is not what I expected."

Zay's quiet words had everyone pausing. Zay simply shook her head as the group was urged forward in the line towards the entry gate into the main resort area. The line was huge. At least three hundred people stood in line along with Zay and her group to get into the park. The only good thing? No one paid Zay any mind. Then again, she was wearing a face concealing veil and garbed as Catherine was, in a long blue gown that looked as if it would hinder her, but was carefully cut so that it would not slow he movement in any way. She felt naked without her blaster but weapons were forbidden to any but the corporate security forces.

Well, any but the corporate security forces and the _group's_ security.

Shriv and Jinso Vun were in armor, fully armed and only an idiot would dare those two Duros. That said? It was the human mountain in armor who strode beside the group that had _everyone_ flinching away. Only a fool saw the odd looking rifle and took it for anything but a deadly weapon even when slung and deactivated. The commando did not react as people shied away from his gaze. If anything? Sev seemed a bit amused by their reactions. Karl walked beside Catherine, garbed as a human technician and CA-E1 also walked with them. It was the _other_ two who Zay focused on. Jacen and Jaina looked calm, but she had talked with them while the group had been in transit to this system and she knew they were nervous. Bladeborn or no, this was their first mission outside of The Nest and they were worried. Well trained, but not experienced. Zay had promised Jan that she would keep an eye on them. Their attire matched Zay and Catherine's minus the veils. Jaina wore a gown that was the same as Zay's and Jacen a suit that matched it for color. Knowing them? They had some kind of blades hidden on their persons. Hopefully ones that would not be easy to detect.

"What did you expect?" Catherine asked. She too seemed calm, all but her eyes which roved above her face concealing veil. She had more jewelry on her person at the moment than Zay had seen in her life. Knowing her? None of it was fake.

"I don't know." Zay admitted as the line crept forward. "Lines, sure. Security, yes, but..." She shrugged helplessly as the droid and organic vendors hawked their wares from all around the area. This area was family friendly, so the wares were toys, snacks and costumes. None of the vendors were loud or pushy, but they were _everywhere_. "This seems a bit… commercial?" She asked, bemused.

"Amusement parks exist to make money, Zay." Catherine replied as the group inched again closer to the security gate. "That likely isn't going to change no matter where any sentient being goes. As long as people are willing to pay for entertainment, there will be those who provide it."

"Basic economics." Zay shook her head as a dark skinned young human bolted from the line, running towards where a candy vendor was waving to her. The girl couldn't have been over four years old. Cute kid. "Supply and demand." She sighed as what had to be the girl's parents left the line, both clearly upset as they pulled a squalling little boy after them. The very unhappy boy couldn't have been more than two or three. The girl ran up to the vendor who smiled at her as the girl's family stormed up, but the _three_ security guards who were closing in on the tableau said that it would not escalate. "They just lost their place in line, didn't they?"

"Yes." Catherine replied. "They did. Knowing corporations? I bet there is a waiver or exemption, but it will cost."

"There is always a cost." Zay said softly as they approached the gate.

"Always." Catherine agreed. The guards at the gate frankly stared at the entourage as Catherine stepped forward. She assumed a haughty stance. When she spoke, it was in a snooty voice that had Zay smiling under her veil. "My family asked to visit the 'Trandoshan Expedition'." She shook her head. "I personally abhor the thought of getting dirty, but they _insist_."

Zay had known that Catherine was old, experienced and dangerous. But _this?_ The Masterblade played 'arrogant noble' better than some nobles that Zay had met!

"Ah, Ma'am..." The mauve skinned female Twi'lek behind the probably blasterproof window gawped at the group before resuming a professional demeanor. Zay had to admire that level of professionalism. Seeing this group had to be a shock. "I… Oh." She swallowed hard as she stared at her screen. "Lady Catherine." Her words were half statement, half question. Catherine inclined her head. "I see. I… I see you have filled out the forms. Um... There are death waivers."

"Yes, yes." Catherine tone was bored now. "All of the forms have been filled out. The fees have been paid. May we enter?" She inquired. Her tone was mild, but only a fool would assume someone who acted like this was not a hairsbreadth from making a scene.

"Yes, Ma'am." The Twi'lek promised. "We have transport waiting. But since that area is so dangerous, we do need to do further checks. I mean no offense, honored guest, but we have to meet company standards." Catherine eyed her and the Twi'lek winced hard enough to be seen. "My supervisor is waiting to explain, Ma'am. For what is worth? Welcome to Mickey's World."

The gate opened and a pair of security guards waved the group in. Zay saw the Twi'lek shake her head as the group filed through a set of scanners. No alarms sounded so that was good. The guards seemed a bit worried, but then again, three armed and armored guards were likely not normal resort guests. Let alone the _rest_ of them. Jacen and Jaina were not wearing any kind of facial disguises and more than one person had already taken pictures of them. Only one person had tried to talk to them and having both Duros simply bar the way had dissuaded that person from further attempts when Jacen had ignored her.

One guard started off and the other waited until the group followed to bring up the rear. The walk was short. In moments, the guard had led the group to a small room where a light skinned human with dark hair in a suit stood. He looked worried, but his face blanked to professional when the group entered. He opened his mouth, but Catherine beat him to speech.

"I hope you have a good reason for delaying us." Catherine said in a mild tone that somehow conveyed threat.

"I do, Lady Catherine." The man said with a shallow bow as the guard who had led them to the room nodded and left the room. "The venue you have chosen to visit is extremely dangerous. The last group that went there did not come back and we are still paying fines for their loss." Catherine just looked at him and he shook his head. "At least you have some security. They didn't."

"Oh." Catherine unbent a little. "My girl and my wards wish to see the Yuzzem and we did pay the fees." She wasn't quite warning him, but it was close.

"Lady..." The man tried again. "We have _many_ attractions..." He broke off as Catherine gave a sniff. "You did pay and we will allow you to go, but we _have_ to be sure that you understand what you getting into." Catherine pulled herself up but he continued. "You understand lawyers. The previous group had lots of lawyers if not a lot of _sense_. Said lawyers are still bringing lawsuits against our company for the loss. The stockholders are not happy." Catherine thought about that for a moment and then heaved a sigh.

"Is there information that is not available on the Holonet?" Catherine asked, her tone sort of calm, but sort of not. "I have paid a great deal to come here. If your lawyers require more forms, I guess I can stoop to fill out more but I _am_ going."

"Ah..." The man who had not had a chance to introduce himself gave himself a shake. "If so, I have to insist that _all_ of you be armed." Catherine stared at him, shock oozing from every pore. "Ma'am, I mean no disrespect, but that place is _dangerous_. The only way I can allow you to go to that island is if all of you are carrying blasters."

"You ask _me_ to carry a blaster?" Catherine demanded. The man nodded. "Are you _insane?_"

"Maybe." The man looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but under Catherine's gaze.

"Blasters won't even slow a Yuzzem down." Zay said and then clamped her mouth shut as Catherine waved at her to be silent.

"No, they won't." The man agreed. "The rifles your security are carrying will, but there are many Yuzzem on that island. No one knows how many. They are not normally hostile, but they can be territorial. If you go in, look and come out, there is little danger. If you do anything else, they will react badly." He made a face. "The previous group did not believe us. They paid for their lack of belief."

"What did they _do?_" Shiv asked, concern for Zay flaring.

"They tried to hold a concert there." The man said sourly and Catherine was hardly the only one to exclaim in disbelief. "And no, the Yuzzem did not appreciate the music. I personally have no problem with even that kind of music, but the Yuzzem _did_."

"Mother..." Zay said very quietly and Catherine turned to her. "I have studied the Yuzzem quite a bit." Catherine nodded and did not stop her, so Zay continued. She had studied, both to research the story and on the way here. "Yuzzem have strict codes of honor. That does not sound like something they would do. At least..." She mused. "They did not seem that way to me as a researcher. What happened?" She asked the man who looked at her.

"Yes, Yuzzem are fairly honorable. They _also_ are fairly aggressive when pushed or woken too quickly." The man agreed. "The band decided to wake them up with very loud music that had very violent lyrics. That was not a good idea." He said with a soft groan. "If you are going to look, then that will not be a problem. Talking to them hasn't been for others, but if you do anything _else_..." He shrugged helplessly. "They claimed that island. Even with modern scanners, we do not know how many of them are there. They won't even allow archaeologists to study the ruins there."

"I studied a bit of their language." Zay said quietly. "As long as I do not insult them, it should be fine." The man looked at her and then at Catherine who groaned.

"Daughter..." Catherine sounded halfway to anger and Zay was quick to speak.

"I just want to see them, maybe talk to them." Zay was still quiet, but firm. "No more. Everything I have read says that they can be very dangerous, but so can any race when pushed. They are not hostile simply to be that way." She looked at the man who put a hand to his face.

"I tried." He said weakly. "There are times when I sincerely wish I had never _heard_ the name 'Minban'. This planet has been nothing but trouble." He shook his head. "Please, for the love of the Force, don't antagonize them?" He all but begged. "Even if you come out utterly unscathed, we are going to be cleaning up legal issues for years. Those fools really had no sense walking in there and _rapping_."

"They _what?_" Came from _everyone_. "_Why?_"

"I don't know. I don't think anyone does." The man sighed. "Legally, we have to allow you access to the venue you chose. That is the basis of our resort, but… We _have_ to insist that everyone be armed. Our lawyers will not allow anyone to go to that island if they are not." He said to Catherine who slowly shook her head. "That said? Shooting Yuzzem is a bad idea." He broke off as Zay winced hard.

"Yes! Bad idea!" Zay said weakly. "Very bad."

Many anthropologists thought Yuzzem were related to Wookiees. There were a number of similarities in size and temperament. But Yuzzem were far more durable, if far less limber. They did not climb well. They dug very well and their thick skin with its fur rivaled some combat armors for durability. Add teeth and claws that could shred most common armor and bad things happened when they got angry. In the story Zay had loved as a child, a pair of Yuzzem had taken out an entire patrol of stormtroopers all by _themselves_. One had fought Darth Vader for goodness sake! He had lost, but he had managed to help Luke escape Vader's trap before dying. Come to think of it…

"I can see you are determined." The man broke through Zay's ruminations. "Maybe this will help? Those fools provoked the Yuzzem. Everyone admits that. Even their own lawyers admit that."

"As little as many of us like them, lawyers are a needed part of our existence these days." Catherine sounded as if she was pulling teeth and the man nodded. "That said, we will be wary." She promised. "And if you _insist_,..." She sighed heavily when the man nodded. "Then, we will all be armed. Do not expect me to clean it." She warned.

"We will provide an assortment of personal protection." The man promised. "It will be ready at your transport. I hope you won't have to use them because I find violence to be abhorrent these days. I hoped I can dissuade you, but I can see you are set. Please, for the love of whatever deity you follow, _please_ come back unclawed?"

He bowed to Catherine and left the room. Everyone stared after him and Zay slowly shook her head.

"Was that who I think it was?" The girl asked as another door opened and another guard beckoned them out.

"Yes, that was Walt Mickey. The founder of Mickey's World." Catherine allowed. "Not as tall as I expected." She mused. Zay looked at her and Catherine shrugged. "Shall we?"

"Lets." Zay started for the door and everyone followed. "And um… Don't shoot the Yuzzem. You will make them mad."

No one had any comments for that as they left the room.

* * *

An hour later

"Where are they?" Zay asked as the group cautiously stepped into a large plaza in the middle of the ancient ruins that dominated the island. There was no sign of anyone. Not Yuzzem. Not human. No one. There hadn't been any sign of anyone since they had passed a makeshift campsite that had been torn to shreds. The utterly destroyed musical instruments had shown who had made the camp. Of the musicians? There had been no sign. Good or bad? Who knew. "They have to know we are here."

The group was huddled around Zay, Jacen and Jaina.

"The Force is screaming 'Danger'. They know we are here." Catherine had shed her noblewoman persona as soon as the transport that had dropped them off had left. Now, her brown armor glistened in the foggy daylight. "Jaina?"

"Falcon reports the sensors nearby have been hacked several times by several different hackers." Jaina said quietly. "Some of the hacks are familiar as First Order techniques, but not all. I am reading life forms in various places, all around us, but none are approaching." She shook her head. "A trap?"

"Almost certainly." Catherine said softly. "But for who?"

"Who do you think, my dear." A deep male voice sounded as a blue hologram shimmered into being in front of them. Catherine stilled as if hit by carbonite. "Your boys have been waiting most impatiently for you, Catherine."

He was quite large for a human and wore raiment that was both ancient and regal looking. He had gray hair and a short, well trimmed gray beard.

"You are not Valkorian!" Catherine said to the man who smiled at her. "He is dead and gone! Good riddance! You are not real."

"Unreal? You are one to talk, my dear Masterblade. You and your companions _define_ the word 'unreal' do you not?" The man snickered at her expression. "Do you really think it was so easy for that fool to slay me? _Me?_" Catherine growled something foul in a language that Zay was suddenly glad she did not know. "Of all of the beings in this reality, you must have known better than to assume me gone."

"You died when the being your son called 'Outlander' stuck you down." Catherine snapped. "Your mind was destroyed when you failed to destroy the Commander's. You are a memory." She paused and stiffened. "_My_ memory."

The hologram stared at her and then he nodded, just a little.

"Perhaps there is spark of intelligence within that brown armor after all." The being she called Valkorian smirked at her as she drew her saber and Glaive. "Really? You think those will help?"

"Zay. Go." Catherine turned so she faced the specter. "This is my test. You cannot face this foe."

"And you _can?_" The other was deeply amused now. "Skill with a blade does not make you invincible. Even the best of you know that, at the end. You Bladeborn limit yourselves far too much. When the Grandmaster falls, they will all fall with her."

Both Jacen and Jaina had swords in hand now, Karl had an odd two bladed spear in hand that shimmered golden. CA-E1 was just standing there as Sev and the Duros took cover and readied their weapons.

"No." Zay said very softly. "Violence is what he wants." The hologram spun to stare at her as she smiled and then she raised her head and howled!

"Stop!" The hologram or whatever it was demanded. "What are you _doing?_"

"Calling for _help!_" Zay snapped as she raised her head to howl again, but blue white lightning flew from the hologram and she collapsed to the ground, every muscle afire. Her second howl was more pain than rage. Then the lightning cut off abruptly as matching howls started coming from all around.

"You little fool!" The shade or whatever he was snapped. "What have you done?"

"Honor will be satisfied today." Zay groaned as hulking form started to appear all around the area. Yuzzem. Lots of Yuzzem. "Mine and others!"

"This isn't over." The blue hologram promised as he vanished.

"Of course not." Zay rolled to a sitting position as the Yuzzem stared at the group. None of them looked friendly. She gasped out words as CA-E1 knelt down beside her to tend her wounds. "Um… Hi. I challenge."

"Zay..." Catherine warned as the Yuzzem eyed her and the others. No one moved.

"I challenge the Dark Side of the Force to a contest of wits in the name of Hin and Kee." Zay bit back a groan as the droid like being beside her did something. "I… I must..."

"You are about to lose consciousness, human!" CA-E1 warned. "That was dumb!"

"No." Zay found strength deep within her and focused as her mother had taught her. She was no Jedi or Sith. She didn't have the Force to that kind of level. She sat up and glared at the Yuzzem who eyed her warily. "I challenge!"

"You are in no shape to do anything!" CA-E1 snapped right back.

"It has to be me." Zay said softly as she stared at the Yuzzem. "It _has_ to be a human who does not have the Force." She rose slowly to her knees and then to her feet despite every fiber of her being screaming agony. "I! _Challenge!_"

She spat words out in the Yuzzem language. All of her companions braced for a fight, but none of the Yuzzem moved. Then, as one, the hairy aliens all bowed to her and slowly left the area, not looking away from the armed beings. Then they were gone.

"Do… not… follow me..." Zay stared for a path that was heavily overgrown. Everyone started to protest, but Zay just shook her head. "They won't let you and they will fight if they see you. Win or lose the fight, the Bladeborn lose. Stay here."

"Zay!" Shriv protested, but his companion moved to his side as he bowed his head. "Don't do anything too stupid, girl."

"Hey." Zay quipped weakly. "It is me!"

"I _know!_"


	19. Chapter 19

**Ancient balance**

Zay managed three steps along the path before she hit the ground with a thud. She tried to get up and could not. Her limbs were shaking from the punishment her body had taken and would not support her.

"No!" She gritted her teeth. "I refuse to fail like this! I refuse to fail my mother, Jan and so many other people. I…! Will not…! FAIL!"

She started to crawl only to pause as a very odd looking humanoid form stepped into view. The black spiky armor that the being was covering in looked wrong to Zay's blurring eyes. The golden pistols that hung at his sides were not in holsters! They were just hanging there at his hips? She tensed, but when he spoke, there was nothing wrong with his voice.

"You is a mess, girl and no mistake." The being, whatever he was, went to his knees beside Zay and when he touched her, some kind of orange energy came from his fingers that soothed her hurts. She stared at him, confused and he shook his head. "I ain't supposed to be here. This is your test, not mine. I know it but a _lot_ of people are worried about Catherine. She has gone through so much, seen so much and had so much done to her that a bunch of us is worried she ain't gonna come _back_ when she finds her boys. Much as it galls me to say such, we need her now more than ever, no matter her own wishes."

"I don't understand." Zay said, reveling in the lack of pain. She knew this being was powerful, that was clear just looking at him, but he was clearly not hostile to her.

"There is a lot you don't know, true." The black armored being helped her sit up. "There is a bunch more you don't _wanna_ know." The metal fingers that ended in wicked looking claws were warm to Zay's befuddled mind. Not like metal at all. Much like CA-E1's fingers come to think of it. "The only reason I could be here at all is that I am neutral. I have no stake in anything happening here and I can mask myself from the Force long enough to help you. I gotta go." Zay opened her mouth, but a finger pressed to her lips. "I can't help you any more than this. It has to be you. Your mom was right and wrong." Zay bristled, but the black armored being just shook is head. "Iden wasn't perfect any more than I am. She would have been the first to say so and you know it." He wasn't chiding her, not quite, but close.

"I… I do." Zay bowed her head. "I apologize."

"You have given me no offense." The odd man, if he was one, patted her shoulder. "You got no quit in ya. That is a good thing and a bad one. The Bladeborn need your help and you have found a way to do so. Good for ya, but _be careful_." He warned. "That thing gives a lot of people pause. You know what to do."

"I do. Mom warned me and I spent the time on the way here preparing." Zay said very softly as the man patted her shoulder again. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." The man said with with a nod and then paused. "Seriously. Don't. I got a reputation and if I don't keep up the rep, bad things happen."

"This never happened and you were never here." Zay said with a smile as she managed to stand, albeit a bit shaky.

"Good girl." The man took her hand, gave it a squeeze and vanished as if he had never been.

"Just when I think things cannot get any weirder." Zay complained a bit whimsically as she started off again. She came out of the path into a larger clearing where a dozen forms in familiar armor lay. Stormtroopers lay un-moving all around the area. Just from how they lay so still? None would rise again. Zay picked her way through the fallen carefully, ignoring everything except her feet. She paused as voices came to her ears. She crouched near some bushes to listen.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" What had to be a First Order officer demanded. "We cannot get past the force field and our coms are jammed. If we go back the way we came, we get killed by the same field that took out our squad."

"We cannot go forward, backward or around. We cannot go over or under. We cannot go _anywhere_." Another voice, this one modulated as only a stormtrooper helmet com could be. "But it does not make sense. Why didn't we fall with the others?"

"We have our orders." The officer snapped. "We secure the artifact and take it to Supreme Leader Ren."

"And we cannot follow those orders." _Was_ that a stormtrooper? Odd that one would talk back in such a way to an officer. _Beyond_ odd, actually. They took orders, period. From what Iden had taught Zay, after all the training and indoctrination, they had almost as much free will as Zay's blaster did and were just as dangerous. Zay's musing was cut off as a man in uniform appeared in front of her and leveled a blaster at her.

"A spy!" The officer snapped, aiming.

"Wait!" Zay's eyes widened as another officer appeared, this one taking off a stormtrooper helmet. He was wearing white armor, but it wasn't like stormtrooper armor. More like her _mom's_ armor than anything Zay had ever seen. His blaster rifle came up and was aimed as Zay slowly rose to her feet, facing her fate with dignity. "We detected no human life signs on landing. Only Yuzzem. Where did this human come from?"

"Who cares?" The other snapped, clearly itching to fire.

"Wait! Doctrine in such a situation demands we gain what intelligence we can from our surroundings." The armored being said flatly and the other growled but nodded. Neither relaxed their aim. "Who are you?" He demanded of Zay.

"You can't get in, can you?" Who had spoken? Zay quailed when she realized _she_ had! Both of the First Order soldiers snarled at her and she knew she was bare moments from death, but she continued. "You won't be able to. The splinter is protected by traps. I do not know what you morons triggered, but you clearly walked into a trap. Of course, that is what stormtroopers are for, is it _not?_" She fought to keep the hate out of her voice, but she knew she failed. "Doing dirty things so that the higher ups don't get dirty."

"Who are you?" The armored being approached, careful to stay out of the officer's line of fire.

"Someone with no reason to trust you. Someone with many reasons to hate you and your kind." Zay said with a growl. Wait a sec! What was… Oh dear! Someone was moving through the brush behind the officer! Not a Yuzzem! She focused on the trooper who was approaching her.

"On the ground, hands on your head! Now!" The trooper commanded.

"Or what? You shoot me?" Zay slowly crossed her arms in front of her chest as the form in the underbrush resolved into Sev who was approaching the officer from behind. The man was clearly focused on Zay. "Go ahead. Then you won't get any answers and I am sick and tired of being angry with you lot."

"I can shoot you without killing you." The trooper warned as he stopped just out of reach.

"I am sure you can." Zay said offhand as Sev prepared himself to take down the officer. "Marksmanship has always been a focus of soldiers. But you are not a soldier, are you? You are a stormtrooper. Expendable cannon fodder. Well trained, well equipped and focused as only the best brainwashing available can do. But still. Expendable assets to be thrown away at need." She shrugged as Sev struck in utter silence and the officer went down to be caught by armored arms and still, no noise! Alive? She wasn't sure. "I am sure the First Order had all kinds of new tricks, but in the end, is there any difference between you and the old Empire's goons?"

"_They_ would have gunned you down without hesitation when you refused to obey." The not-quite-a- stormtrooper snapped.

"Probably." Zay shrugged again as Sev reached up and drew his rifle and took careful aim at the back of the man's head. "No. Don't." Zay said to Sev. "If these are alive, there is a reason." The stormtrooper froze as Sev made a noise of disagreement.

"They are idiots." Sev's voice was a rumble but held humor. As the stormtrooper's head turned to see him and the man stiffened seven more. "Go ahead, try. Lets see how well your masters trained you."

"That is a DC-17m." The man said slowly. "And your armor… What is your designation?"

"As one of my pod brothers probably would have said, my designation is 'Guy with the blaster aimed at you.'." Sev's tone was mild, but fury sang just underneath. "All this time and all this training and you lot are _still _idiots. Stormtroopers, fegh!" He all but spit. "No wonder officers always accompany you into the field. It is miracle that any of you can find your targets to blast them. Small wonder you lot usually just shoot everything."

"Is he alive?" Zay asked, nodding to the fallen officer, but still not moving any of the rest of her.

"For now." Sev still hadn't moved. "Of course, when he wakes up, he better not move or the thermal charge I laid on him with go off." The officer jerked! He had been faking unconsciousness! Zay sighed and shook her head again. "Hey, I am not Scorch. I only blow up what I want to."

"You are not supposed to be here." Zay said mildly as the stormtrooper slowly lowered his rifle. Sev did not. "This is my test."

"I saw the shuttle, saw dead Yuzzem and realized there were troops here. Jinso Vun wanted to come, but she has the Force. I don't." Sev replied. "They will fire." He warned Zay who nodded.

"I know." Zay said sadly. "But you know? I want to stop hating them, Sev." Both the officer on the ground and the stormtrooper stared at her, clearly confused and Zay sighed. "You asked my name? My name is Zay Versio. My mother's name was Iden Versio. My father's name was Del Meerko and you lot killed both of them."

"Versio!" The man on the ground started, but stiffened when something beeped on him. He stared down at himself as Sev barked a laugh.

"Feel free to try and disarm that." The old commando said offhand, still not relaxing his aim. "I am curious to see if your techs ever came up with a way to beat a Geanosisan bio-trap. None of ours could." Both of the First Order troopers froze again and Sev sighed. "I guess not. Ah well, maybe someday."

"Your mother was a traitor." The stormtrooper said very slowly.

"Yes, she was." Zay's reply confused the man even further.

"You admit it?" The man demanded.

"My mother was many things, a liar was not one of them except in the line of duty." Zay said very quietly. "She was placed in a position where her duty to the Empire demanded that she not obey her orders. It was not an easy decision for her to make and she paid for it for many years until scum like you killed her. She was my mother and I loved her very much. Part of me burns to kill every last one of you, but..." She paused and then she smiled a bit forlornly. "That is it."

"What?" All three of the men chorused and everyone started as Zay started walking.

"Zay!" Sev protested as she walked right by the stormtrooper who grabbed at her, but his fingers slid off her like he couldn't get a grip!

"Don't go anywhere." Zay said quietly. "I will be right back."

She walked right by the clearly furious and terrified officer, ignoring the flashing device that lay on his stomach. She strode through the clearing and up to an odd opening. Was that a wall? A fence? Some kind of curtain of trees? All of these and none. Something flashed around her as she stepped into the opening, but nothing happened. She stepped on something that went 'crack'. She stared down at bones. Lot of bones. Some of human, others of races she had no names for She shook her head and picked her way through the horrible detritus on the floor.

"I want to stop hating, but I don't know how." Zay said into the stillness that surrounded her. "How do I stop _myself?_"

There was no answer and she continued walking until she entered a large room that was _filled_ with bones. Old scars on the walls from blasters and other weapons as well as a scattering of stormtrooper armor showed that a battle had taken place here. It took no imagination to know that this was where once, long ago, a young man named Skywalker had fought an overpowering dark force and survived, if just barely. A pair of Yuzzem skeletons lay near a pedestal on which lay a tiny red thing. Zay paused. Why was there a _sword _sitting beside it? A body in a tattered black robe lay as if it had placed the sword before falling. Zay shook her head.

"I mean you no harm." Zay said as she sat at the base of the pedestal. "I am tired. So very tired." Was it her imagination that the crystal pulsed? She ignored it. "I had so many hopes, so many dreams, so many wishes and now? All are dust and ashes. What am I without my mother?"

Red light was surrounding her as she closed her eyes.

"I want to stop hating." Zay said sadly. "I want to stop being to angry. I want to… I want to help Jan. To help the Bladeborn."

"You fool." A voice that Zay did not know pulled her out of her stupor. She looked up to see a visage of horror eyeing her. The man in black robes was leering at her with both rage and avarice. She had never seen him, but she knew who he was. Emperor Palpatine in all of his evil glory. "You _dare_ come here of all places? You dare to proclaim your losses as a reason to take what does not belong to you?"

"I did not come here to take anything." Zay replied. "I came here to ask for help. No more. From what little I know of it, taking things is the way of the Dark Side. I have no chance against such raw power except..." She smiled just a little. "I do know that Light and Darkness exist in Balance. Without one, the other cannot exist. Without 'evil', what is 'good'? Without 'good', what is 'evil'?" She shrugged and every muscle protested, but she did not move as the man raised hands that crackled with fell energy.

"Your mother was a traitor and you will pay for her crimes!" The man declared as lightning snapped out to lash Zay, but… It didn't hit her! "What? No!"

"You cannot steal that which is freely given." Zay said as she closed her eyes. "I ask help for Jan. I do not demand. I only ask. I am nothing now."

"You are wrong, child." An unfamiliar voice sounded and warm arms pulled Zay up into an embrace. "Ah, Zay…. Your mom would be mad with us. We nearly cost you your life, getting involved in our silly quests."

"Saving Jan is not mad!" Zay tried to protest as warm suffused her. She felt so good. She opened her eyes, but red was all around her and she shut them again. "Saving the Bladeborn is not insane."

"Eh, maybe." The other sighed reply. "Bladeborn are different. It began a very long time ago on a world that is lost. Long before the Jedi Order began, even before the Republic was formally created, a group of people came together on the planet called Tython to study the ways of a power energy field that surrounded all living things. Among there were scholars, historians, healers and warriors. Some of those warriors sought to better themselves in conflict but codified to protect the innocent. As warriors go they were wiser than most, knowing that no matter how powerful they might become, they would always be beholden to others to make their food, to make their equipment and to maintain such. Warriors focus on war, that is the simple truth of the Bladeborn. They are neither good nor evil, they straddle the line, sometimes straying one way, sometimes the other. They have done deeds both noble and horrific."

"They are faltering." Zay said softly. "They lost their Grandmaster until Jan came to them, but she is faltering too. She is a good soul."

"She tries to be, yes." The warm that held her gave her a squeeze. "She is no more perfect than any human is, but she tries."

"Can you help her?" Zay begged.

"No." The other said sadly. "But you _can_. Clear your mind, girl. Focus on Jan as you know her, see her as she is, both loving and hurting. See her as she is. _Then_ you can touch the crystal but only for a moment. Such contact with such raw power _will_ hurt you." She warned.

"I owe her." Zay bowed her head, trying to see the Bladeborn Grandmaster in her mind as the warm that surrounded her faded. Then, she could! Jan stared at Zay, mouth agape in some kind of bath! Tavion stood beside the woman, the Healer's mouth also ajar as Zay reached out with a slow hand to touch the red that pulsed both under her fingers _and_ at Jan's neck.

Then there was nothing but pain. Zay could only take it for a moment before passing out.


	20. Chapter 20

**Reunions of the strange kind**

_"ZAY!"_

The scream from the closed off area had Shriv running towards before it had stopped echoing. Jinso Vun was at his side as both Duros darted towards the path Zay had taken. No one tried to stop him. Indeed, Catherine, Karl, CA-E1 and the twins followed. The Bladeborn had weapons ready, the droid just seemed ready. The clone commando had vanished a while back and Shriv hadn't asked. But then Zay's scream had silenced _all_ of the subdued noise on the island that held this place.

Shriv stumbled to a halt as he came into a clearing where Sev held two First Order soldiers at gunpoint. He stared around, but none of the soldiers moved. He started towards another path but paused as Catherine jerked to a halt at his side, her face suddenly unsure for the first time since he had met her. Jinso Vun, the twins and CA-E1 stopped with a bit more decorum. Karl was a quiet shadow at her back.

"Oh dear." Catherine said very softly as all three of the humans stared at her. "Um... Sev? Where did Zay go?"

"The temple." The commando replied and Catherine winced. "I thought you couldn't approach?" He asked warily. Catherine made a face and the commando made a sour noise. "Or is that above my pay grade?"

"The power that kept us away has faded." Catherine said as Shriv snarled something foul and started forward, only to be jerked to a halt by her rock hard fingers. "That is not a good thing. Zay could not handle such stress. Not for very long."

"Let go!" Shriv didn't try to fight, but his glare had teeth.

"If you go in there, you won't come out sane!" Catherine snapped right back. "Zay would never forgive me. We can-"

Everything stopped as three forms stepped out of the temple into the light. One was Kyle Katarn. The other two were unknowns, a Trandoshan and a Yuzzem, but it was the _fourth_ who followed the trio, shimmering with red energy with Zay carried in careful hands that had Catherine and Karl stiffening.

"_You._" Catherine's cold word silenced the entire area as Raviine, the Lady of the Darkstorms, carried Zay out into the clearing and knelt to lay her on the ground. The human seeming bore a sad look. Not that she was human or Catherine could trust anything she said.

"She is very brave." The human looking being who had once hurt both Catherine and Eliza to the point of near death said very quietly. "I do not think she has taken any lasting hurt but I cannot be sure." She nodded to the droid who had frozen. "She needs help."

"What have you done?" Catherine's words were barely a whisper, but the sheer threat in them had everyone stiffening.

"None of you could approach the temple." Raviine said quietly as Kyle moved to stand with Catherine. "Not with any safety. I do not have the Force. I could. The girl did it, she saved Jan. Rai? I don't know. Maybe."

"You have no _business_ here, Darkstorm!" Catherine snarled.

"Neither do you, Tenno." Raviine seemed unmoved by Catherine's ire.

"Stop." That came from Kyle and both women looked at him. "Who is the important one here?" He asked quietly.

"Zay." Catherine and Ravine chorused and eyed each other.

"Trust won't happen after what you did to Nia." Kyle said flatly. "But this? This seems a good thing." He turned to the two aliens who had not spoken. "The crystal has been drained. It will not remain so, but it will be far less dangerous for a few centuries. Hopefully, we can find a way to move it to a more secure hiding place by then."

"It will be some time until it wakes again and influences others." The voice from the Trandoshan was odd, almost melodious. Female? Hard to say. "Destroying it would seem the easier course, but you seek an alternative. That is a good thing since it is alive in some way. The Scorekeeper approves." She looked at the Yuzzem who nodded. "This conflict must be resolved, Masterblade."

"A large part of me doesn't want to." Kyle admitted. "I straddle the line between darkness and light, but I do know anger. They earned it." He nodded at the dragon in human seeming, who did not move.

"That they did." The Trandoshan agreed. When her gaze landed on the dragon, Raviine actually winced. "Impersonating Nia's father to try to get her to join your ranks was a very bad idea." Now, her tone was dry.

"I agree. The one who did that was punished." Raviine said quietly. "My husband is many things and his ethics can be nebulous on occasion, but that passed almost all of his boundaries. He was almost as upset as you all were and are. Thousands of years of enmity are not undone by a single act. You cannot believe me, but can I at least try to fix some of this?" She nodded to Zay. "Zay needs help and I don't think anyone here can aid her."

"You try to bring _anyone_ else in here and all hell will break loose." Kyle warned. "CA-E1?"

The droid moved to Zay's side, the still glowing woman stepping back away from the unconscious girl as the droid bent down and started examining Zay.

"How did the girl get through when we could not?" The armored soldier under Sev's gun asked, his tone careful. Catherine looked at him and then at the other who was all but frozen on the ground.

"She had a plan and the knowledge to act on her plan." Catherine stepped up to the standing soldier, looking him over. Then she nodded. "She also had no ambitions beyond helping a friend. You wanted to curry favor with your masters and didn't care how many people got hurt or killed."The soldier stared at her and she shrugged. "Such was never part of your training. Your brother might have been able to find his way in if he had not been so ambitious." She glanced at the man on the ground who scoffed.

"Like you have any idea who we are." He sneered. "What does that make you, our mother?" He went still as everyone in the clearing but the armored trooper made faces. CA-E1 couldn't grimace, but from her posture? She wanted to.

"That is not how I wanted to say it, but yes." Catherine shrugged as both humans goggled at her. "You both excelled in your fields of study. You barely had to try to surpass human norms. You grew up in an orphanage on Vardos and were inducted into the First Order at an early age. Do you have names or designations?" She asked.

"Why?" Came from the officer.

"Because I do not know you." Catherine replied, sadness etching her features. "I was not allowed to remember my children. There were many reasons, but I just found out about you and your siblings. I wanted to find you."

"And do what?" The officer demanded. "'Save' us?" He scoffed again. "Demand something of us?"

"What right have I to demand anything from you?" Catherine asked reasonably. "You don't know me. I am not in your chain of command. You won't obey me." She shrugged. "I wanted to see if you were alive. I hoped you might be happy or at least content, but in the end? I just wanted to see you. I wanted to see if I could make some good come of the bad that happened." She looked away. "None of it was your fault. None of it was mine, although I still have difficulty accepting that. The one who hurt me, who tore you from your lives, who forced one of your sisters to maroon you here and the other to take a vow of silence to protect her crimes? She is gone."

"Sisters." The standing trooper said very softly but the officer on the ground snarled.

"You lie!" The man snapped.

"Do I?" Catherine inquired, but not of him, of the standing trooper who slowly shook his head.

"I have had odd dreams all of my life." The trooper said softly. "Of a very different world." Catherine went still and he shook his head. "That does not make any sense! People do not turn into droids!"

"Like this?" Catherine asked as her form morphed. Only the humans and Shriv looked shocked as Catherine suddenly stood there in a white and golden parody of a human being. Both of the troopers stared at the tail that curved up behind her. Then she was back as she had been, standing ready.

"I… Um..." The standing trooper seemed at a loss for words. "What is that?"

"'That' is a Gersemi Valcyr warframe." Catherine said quietly. "It is a weapon from an alternate reality. The reality you and your brother are originally from. You are brothers." She said as the supine officer growled at her. "Do you deny that?"

"You are Bladeborn!" The man snarled. "Nothing you say can be trusted!"

"What did the Bladeborn do to the First Order?" Kyle inquired from where he had been standing. "None of our records show any conflict with you lot until you started hunting us a few years ago." He shook his head as everyone looked at him. "We have _other_ concerns." That was the Raviine who did not react.

"We do not question our orders!" The officer snapped, but the standing trooper frowned.

"You might not, but some of us have reservations about following a brat who thinks with his lightsaber." The standing trooper shrugged as the one on the ground spat at him. "To Ren, we are less than nothing. Not even valued tools."

"Vader valued useful tools." Catherine said in sudden insight. Everyone looked at her and the Masterblade shook her head. "He hunted Bladeborn, although he didn't know all of why. Part was curiosity, part was the challenge. We were and are Force users who do not bow to any but our own Grandmaster. Add to that? We are hard to pin down." She shook her head. "We _were_ hard to pin down." She corrected herself sourly as she glared at Kyle who shrugged.

"And?" The standing First Order soldier asked.

"Kylo Ren idolizes what he knows about his maternal grandfather." Catherine shrugged again. "He doesn't know even a fraction of what made the man who he was." Now everyone was staring at her. "Darth Vader was many things to many people. To most, he was a big scary guy in black armor. But we Bladeborn dealt with him a few times, usually with at least reasonable levels of civility."

"And..." Kyle mused. "We were outside his control."

"Bingo." Catherine smiled, but there was little humor in it. "His master probably ordered him to 'find' and 'deal' with the Bladeborn. Either turn us to the Emperor's service or destroy us but he couldn't find us. Even with all of his resources and power, we hide like nobody's business. He found a few, but those few always perished rather than turn or divulge any useful information. We are kind of stubborn that way." Now her smile was melancholy.

"That we are." Kyle agreed. "So what now?"

"CA-E1?" Catherine inquired when the droid rose.

"Zay Versio is deeply unconscious, but I find no lasting hurts." The droid replied. "Your mission is done." Catherine glared at the droid, but the metal being was unmoved. "You need to go now."

"I am not leaving her like this." Catherine said flatly. "And I am _certainly_ not leaving _that one_ here un-warded." She nodded to the still glowing red woman. "Even with the others warning us that _someone_ had intruded, I never expected her to tempt Eliza's wrath." She made a face. "Eliza is still madder than hell."

"I never intended harm." Raviine said quietly, not moving.

"Shut up." Catherine snapped. Kyle glanced at her and she shook her head. "No, I am not rational about her. I died several times because of her machinations." Everyone but the dragon and the droid winced at that. The dragon opened her mouth to speak, but Catherine suddenly had a strange circular sword in one hand and a lightsaber in the other. Karl was hefting an oddly shaped golden spear with blades at both ends, but it was Catherine who grated out speech. "Shut. Up."

That was not a _suggestion_.

"Masterblade." Kyle was clam, but his hand was also on his sword hilt. "Be true to the Code." Catherine shook her head one, twice, but then relaxed and nodded. No one relaxed.

"I will." Catherine said after a moment, her tone calming. "I came here to find my boys. I have. You have lives of your own, duties. I do not agree with what you are doing, but as I say, I have no right to say 'yay' or 'nay' to anything you do. Whatever you do cannot be as bad as what I have done."

"What did you do?" The supine soldier inquired carefully.

"I was a slave to a monster." Catherine replied, looking from one to the other. "I did many horrible things as a slave. When I was finally freed, I tried to make up for some of what I had done, but in the end? I can't. Most of those I hurt are dead. The only one who is still alive..." She trailed off and made a face. "She is not rational about this any more than I am."

"You are trying to make sense of it." Kyle smiled a bit forlornly. "Not all of us have that luxury."

"Wisdom is really a pain at times." Catherine complained bit whimsically. "And it always costs far too much to acquire."

"True." Kyle sighed deeply and then turned to the Yuzzem who had remained silent throughout this all. "Do you wish recompense for the trespass?" The Yuzzem shook its head and Kyle nodded. He turned to the Trandoshan. "And you?"

"Zay Versio's courage has cleansed our home, but before that? The temple was fouled by a black robe." The Trandoshan said sternly. "He perished, but he laid something beside the crystal. That something is gone now."

"Is that so?" Kyle inquired, his eyes on the dragon who still hadn't moved. His words were mild, but his hand tightened on his lightsaber. "And what would that something have been?"

"It looked like a sword, but it wasn't one." The Trandoshan said with a growl that was pure 'angry lizard'. Catherine, Jacen, Jaina and Jinso Vun all stiffened.

"I see." Kyle slowly shook his head as he turned to face the dragon fully. "And seeing as how there was only one being in there… When were you going to explain about that?"

"I wasn't." Raviine said simply. "That weapon is dangerous. You know this."

"You would take that which is not yours. Again." Catherine said softly. "Some things never change."

"No one here can wield the weapon." Raviine said slowly, not daring to move as _all_ the Bladeborn drew weapons. Jacen hefted a pair of daggers. Jaina held a pair of extended batons that crackled with energy. Jinso Vun hefted a long chain that had a sickle shaped blade at one end.

"So, you take it and use it." Kyle slowly shook his head as he held his lightsaber ready. "Over our dead bodies. You come by stealth to take that which is not yours. Hand it over, thief." Raviine shook her head. "Now."

"You cannot use it!" Raviine protested, still not moving.

"And you have no _right_ to use it!" Catherine snarled. "I highly doubt he is happy with this situation, since he and his also suffered your machinations."

"It is not like that!" Raviine tried again. "I am trying to help! I can help him!"

"Istara and Idjit are both very upset." Kyle said softly. "Hand it over before we cannot hold them back any longer. He may have demanded such an existence as penance for what he did, but you have no right to take that. Him."

"Do not force me to act against you." Raviine was not quite begging. "I do not want a conflict here! Yes, our agent erred. Yes, Nia has a right to her anger! But we can _help!_"

"And we cannot trust you!" Catherine grated out.

Both of the Masterblades were moving to flank the dragon who still hadn't moved when Sev coughed.

"Falcon reports that we have incoming." The commando warned. "Lots of it. First Order."

Jacen, Jaina, Jinso Vun and Shriv all moved to Zay's side as CA-E1 did the same. Both First Order soldiers looked blank.

"We did not order backup." The standing First Order trooper said slowly. He looked at the supine soldier who also shook his head. "We had no coms."

Catherine looked at Sev who shrugged minutely.

"Falcon concurs. Long range coms are jammed by both the resort's systems and something else." The commando replied to the unspoken question. "The other vanished a few minutes ago and the long range sensors just went nuts. An entire battlegroup just dropped in." The supine soldier started to laugh but it cut off as Sev continued. "From the back chatter that Falcon is detecting? They are going to Base Delta Zero."

"_What?_" That came from everyone but Kyle and the dragon.

"They are going to glass the planet." Kyle asked the dragon. "Why?"

"I don't know." Raviine looked concerned. "I can ask, but..."

"If you do _anything_, I will cut you down." Catherine warned. "I do know how to kill your kind. Eliza said I might need that knowledge when I told her I was coming here." Kyle winced and Catherine forced herself to relax. "Masterblade Katarn, we cannot allow that. There are _many_ children here."

"No, we can't, Masterblade Catherine." Kyle agreed. He turned to the two aliens. "Get your people to shelter. The temple will survive even an orbital bombardment." The Yuzzem and Trandoshan both bowed to him and disappeared into the underbrush. "Catherine..." His face was ashen as he looked at her but Catherine had eyes only for the dragon.

"Give me the sword." Catherine demanded. The dragon shook her head, and Catherine snarled. "We do not have time to _dither_. Give me the sword! I can channel it! No one else here has a chance."

"Such might kill you permanently. I have hurt you enough." Raviine said weakly. She stilled as Catherine's lightsaber ignited in a silver-white spray.

"Give me the sword or I will take it off your smoking corpse!" Catherine's tone was mild, but the intensity level was indescribable.

"I..." Raviine seemed to wilt and then she held out her hand. A sword appeared in it, blade in her hand, the hilt extended to Catherine. It was an ancient, ugly weapon, its steel marred with old scars, old damage never repaired. Catherine's lightsaber deactivated and flew to her belt without her hand. She reached out and took the ancient weapon from Raviine. As soon as it touched her hand, it morphed into a more functional weapon, beautiful in its own way. A one or two hand hilt, a single edge on a slightly curved blade. No frills. No decorations but a single image etched into the blade near the simple twisted cross guard. The image was a stylized sword. Other than that? Nothing. Pure function in steel.

But then...

"CATHERINE! NO!" A masculine scream sounded as an elderly form appeared beside her. The old human wore ancient looking battered brown armor and his face bore both fear and shock. "_Don't!_"

"Hello, Morey." Catherine said as she hefted the blade. "It is good to see you, brother. By my own hand. For the Code!"

Then she reversed the blade and shoved it deep into her own belly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Flips**

"Catherine..."

Shriv was shocked but no one else seemed worried. The hologram or whatever it was of the old man sighed deeply as Catherine stood there, the sword stuck out of her like a macabre decoration. There was no blood, just a sickly green ichor that seeped a little. He shook his head, but someone else beat him to speech.

"You of all people know what she is like, Morey." Karl said as he hefted his two blades spear. "She gets what she sees as an honorable idea in her head and get out the hell of her way." His tone mixed amusement, worry and consternation.

"True." The being called Morey sighed again as Catherine stood there, her face closed. "Do you really think I am just going to let you do that, girl?" He demanded of the female Masterblade. He turned to Kyle who shrugged. "You are lots of help!" He complained.

"This is a resort world, Morey." Kyle hadn't moved at all. "There are lots of children here."

"Yeah, there are." The being called Morey said with a grunt. "One reason Palpatine hid me here." Everyone stared at him and he shrugged. "Yeah, he tried the soft approach first. Tried to appeal to my good nature." A whimsical laugh sounded and both Catherine and Kyle smiled at that. The being known as Morey hadn't _had_ a good nature. He had been evil and then slightly less evil then mostly good, but still with a deep seated pragmatic streak that frankly scared a lot of people until the day he died. Until he had assumed his burden. "That didn't work out any better than the hard approach did when Vader tried brute force. They couldn't turn me or use me so the Emperor decided to hide me away in a place Bladeborn would not go."

"And with you discovered..." Kyle shook his head. "Someone ordered that First Order fleet to glass the planet."

"Yeah, sounds like Palpatine _or_ Vader. When in doubt, kill stuff. Overkill was always their thing in such cases." Morey shook his head. "Catherine, no." He reached out with a slow hand to touch the blade's hilt. "Let it go, there are other ways."

Catherine shook her head, but did not move otherwise. Could she?

"What are you?" The supine First order soldier asked, not daring to move with so much barely restrained violence in the area. He was a fanatic, he wasn't stupid.

"Me? I am the remnant of a very evil man who was redeemed through the love of his mates." Morey replied evenly. "I chose this role instead of the one Istara and Idjit chose because the Bladeborn needed something tangible to focus on. To remember the horrors of the past." He shook his head. "Not that anyone else _bothers._" The bitterness in his tone could have cut cleanly through a Corusca gem.

"The Sitolon remember, Morey." Kyle reassured him. "So do we." He paused as the others who had the Force stiffened as a warning rang through the Force. Death.

"What?" The soldier demanded.

"Something very bad." Kyle had his sword in hand now. He looked at Morey who bowed his head. "Aw, shit, Morey… No..."

"I couldn't stop him." Morey said sadly. "He got the idea when he saw the records, found Sarai's DNA. He did it, used Sith alchemy mixed with other stuff to make them. The same as that Jedi did so long ago. Dark."

"How many?" Kyle demanded as the groups huddled closer to Catherine and the supine soldier.

"I don't know." Morey said sadly. "Lots. They won't enter the temple and the Yuzzem likely deter them from leaving the island, but anything else? You know what they will do."

"Yes, I do." Kyle said softly and then spoke louder. "Dask! Flee! Now!" That was a command, but nothing happened. "You cannot fight them! _We_ may not be able to!"

"Debt owed!" The voice of the female Trandoshan came from nowhere. "Will be paid! Scorekeeper's will be done!"

"What?" Shriv asked as everyone put their backs to Catherine who didn't seem able to move.

"You met Ilosa." Kyle said sadly as he took up station over Zay's still form. "There are many reasons her people secluded themselves. One of the worst was that a very long time ago, even by our standards, a Jedi with less ethics than a Sith experimented on some of her people to turn them into weapons." Shriv stared at the human in horror and Kyle nodded. "Think about it. Is there anything scarier than a big scary black bug that will eat you if it catches you? It took a baradium core munition to stop the last insane queen of their kind. Before that? They were unstoppable. The only way they were mostly contained was strict quarantine that shot down anything that tried to land on that planet. If they got off world in numbers? The galaxy itself may become their food."

"It gets worse." Morey said softly and Kyle slumped a bit.

"How do they… reproduce…?" Shriv stared at him and then down at Zay as Kyle did. Nothing needed to be said. Jinso Vun was at his side and shook her head. "Oh no… No."

"We will not let that happen." The female Duros promised Shriv.

"I could-" Raviine was outside the group and stopped as everyone snarled at her.

"We do not trust you." Kyle snapped. "We _cannot_ trust you. I know about the needs of the many being more than the needs of the few, but you lie just to _do_ it." He shook his head. "Binding Nia was a mistake. She shook off your chains, but it cost her dearly."

"She didn't." Raviine said softly. "We let her go."

"NerfOsik" Kyle snapped as screams sounded from all around the clearing. Yuzzem. Dying!

"She swore the oath, we didn't have to let her go." Raviine said sadly. "We _chose_ to, because she was lied to. Koro was wrong trick her like that. You know what is causing this. You know what will happen."

"Over my dead body!" Catherine grated the words out as if in monumental pain. All the other Bladeborn nodded agreement.

"They won't listen." Raviine said sadly. She wasn't talking to anyone present! "I hoped… but the wounds are too deep. We hurt them too badly. He was wrong, but… I want to help." She begged.

"Go away!" Kyle snapped. "We will handle… this..." He trailed off and jumped a little to the side as Zay sat up, CA-E1 at her side.

"You can't." Zay said quietly as everyone stared at her. She looked at Morey who bowed his head. "They cannot see it, can they?" He shook his head and she turned to Raviine. "What did you do? Exactly?" She demanded as the droid helped her to her feet.

"One of our agents who was tasked with covering this reality saw an opportunity in a young girl who had lost everything she loved. Koro is not a bad soul, but he does not always think things through." Raviine said quietly. "Nia Korr watched her father cut down in front of her. It had to happen. That was the only way an overwhelming enemy might be defeated. That enemy would have given any of _us_ pause." The warden said with a growl. "Her father did as he always did. He placed himself between those who could not fight and those who wished them harm. He used stealth, trickery and then brute force to contain the threat, but it was only _contained_. It had to be _stopped_." She slumped. "It was."

"And she watched it happen." Zay said softly. "Just like I watched my mom perish."

"His sister was the only one who could do it, Nia's aunt." Raviine said sadly. "She did." Zay inhaled and Raviine bowed her head. "It cost her sanity. She never wielded a blade in anger again. She lived out her life as a Bladeborn, but always with the knowledge of what she had done. That she had taken her brother's life. Nia could never forgive her any more than she could forgive herself."

"I see." Zay sighed. "And then?"

"Nia was incredibly powerful, disciplined, balanced and quite smart. At the end of her mortal life, Koro thought to give Nia another family." Raviine shook her head. "As ideas go, his _was_ fairly altruistic in some ways, but not the best laid plan. That girl was always good at ferreting out truth from lies." She said dryly. "Add to that? Nia is easily the most powerful being I have ever met because she copies anyone she sees. She calls it 'Mirroring' since in an ancient prophecy, she was described as a 'Mirror to the soul'. Inaccurate, in some ways, but fairly true."

"And these 'Dark'?" Zay shook her head. "No, wait, I understand." She staggered a little and Raviine stared at her as CA-E1 held her upright. Everyone tensed as Zay turned to Catherine. "Let it go."

"What?" Catherine asked, confused.

"You are not thinking clearly, Masterblade. The darkness is clouding you." Zay said firmly. Not hostile, but firm. "Let it go! Let the power go!"

"I have to save the children!" Catherine half snarled, half groaned as Kyle stared from her to Zay and back. Zay laid a hand on CA-E1's arm and the droid released her.

"You can't." Zay said quietly. "The only person you can save is yourself. But you do not want to, do you?" She asked as she took a faltering step towards Catherine, only to pause as _everyone_ moved between them. All except one, Karl did not move, his face was set, but his posture was resigned. "You do not want to survive, do you?"

"Good girl." Came in low voices from both Raviine and Morey. The dragon might have been carved from stone, but the old man was smiling.

"No, she doesn't." A familiar voice heralded a very unfamiliar form appearing beside Zay. Falcon! But… The being was sort of humanoid, sort of. It had two long spindly arms and two legs that were clearly not for locomotion since it was hovering off the ground. Its core was orange energy and it was like nothing Zay had ever seen. But the voice? The voice was kind! "She remembers it all and wants her pain to end. But she is bound by her oaths and she will not let harm come to those she feels she must defend."

"I see." Zay turned to where the soldier lay on the ground and knelt by his side. She stared at the device on his chest and then smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Soldier? You obey orders, yes?"

"Why should I talk to you?" The soldier demanded only to freeze as Zay tapped the device on his stomach. He paled, but it beeped and turned off. "What? How?"

"Geonisian bio-trap. Mom learned how to disarm those and taught me how." Zay's smile was a cold thing. "If you want to die, feel free to draw a blaster, try to take me hostage or whatever." The soldier did not move and Zay nodded. "That is the first smart thing I have seen you do. We have all been _played_." She turned to Catherine. "Haven't we?"

"Zay, you are not making sense." Catherine said sternly.

"She is making more sense than _you_ are, Catherine." Morey said sternly. "I didn't expect this of you of all people!" He sighed. "I guess I should have. Even your kind have feelings, emotions. You fall prey to them just like any of us."

"You wanted to find your boys. You have." Zay said as she rose and held out a hand to the First Order soldier who stared at it as if it were venomous. "So, what is left for you to do except go out in a blaze of glory, fighting overwhelming odds?" The soldier stared at her and then blanched. "Yes, she and the ones with her can stop your fleet. Maybe kill an entire battlefleet. From what I have seen? I bet they won't even break a sweat."

"_Zay..._" Catherine warned, but Karl moved to Zay's side and nodded approval as Falcon hovered close to the human.

"What could kill a Masterblade Tenno?" Zay asked quietly.

"The absolute worst threat the Bladeborn ever faced." Morey agreed. "With the fleet to hold everyone's attention, she dies fighting. Well reasoned, Zay."

"You think _I_ did this?" Catherine snapped as the screams around them faded, leaving only dreadful silence. Anticipatory silence that was closing in.

"No, but you will use it." Zay agreed. "I do not understand most of what I saw in my dreams, but I did see you fall in battle fighting Dark versions of the kindly bug. And as soon as you did? They all vanished." She shook her head. "Because they... Are... Not... Real."

"Zay..." Catherine groaned. "I do not have that kind of power." She paused as Morey coughed. She stared at him as he pointed at the sword stuck in her. "How else do we stop a First Order _fleet?_"

"There are lots of ways to stop such a thing." Zay said quietly. "Violence is rarely the best recourse. To many, it is the only way they know." She looked from the soldier on the ground to the standing one. Then she looked at Sev. "You know better, don't you?"

"Didn't always." Sev was quiet, almost reflective. "Before I was taken prisoner and tossed into carbonite, I was just another murderous thug like these." His tone still held derision. "When I was thawed? I had time to think while I healed."

"Taken prisoner by who?" Zay asked.

"Who do you _think?_" Sev asked, his posture resigned now.

"Bladeborn." Zay said softly. Catherine jerked, but Morey bowed his head. No one else moved. "They captured you on Kashyykk, didn't they? They walk the line, neither good nor evil, but they have done both. Even with what little I know of her, Grandmaster Jan cannot have been happy to find you like that."

"She wasn't." Sev allowed. "Masterblade Katarn was almost as upset. The old guard resisted her new ways and it cost them. She… She is a good commander."

"Don't tell me you are not angry." Zay said with a frown.

"Of _course_ I am angry!" Sev replied with a snort. "But that doesn't stop me from doing my duty." His aim hadn't wavered from the standing trooper. "My duty is to the Republic, not some wanna-be's who think they are owed stuff because of their pretty toys."

"You don't understand!" The supine soldiers snapped.

"I understand just fine." Sev replied, still calm. "I just don't agree with your idiocy. I saw your kind far too many times during what you lot today call the Clone War. On _both_ sides." He snarled that last.

"What are your orders, RC-1207?" Zay asked mildly.

"To protect you." Sev replied instantly. "From any threat."

"Then I am sorry I ran off, but I think I did heal Jan." Zay sighed and shook her head. "That is a good thing." She looked at Shriv and stilled. "Shriv, don't move." Shriv stared at her and then to the side where Jinso Vun held a blaster aimed at him! Another hand was coming up with a slug thrower that had a long cylinder attached to the barrel."And now? We come to the moment of truth. It wasn't the _Empire_ who took you from Hoth, was it, Jinso Vun?"

"I… I can't…!" Jinso was clearly fighting herself. "Shriv! STOP ME!"

"No!" Zay commanded when everyone aimed at the struggling Duros. Even the two First Order troopers had weapons in hand, aimed at the Duros who was all but jerking in place. "No violence is needed now! _None!_" She slowly shook her head as Jinso Vun fought to keep her weapon from rising, but it did, aimed at _Zay! _"If you must fire, to break the programming, do so. I do not blame you, Aunt."

"Zay..." The female Duros begged. "I can't! Catherine! Stop me!"

"If you do, you will _damn_ us all!" Zay snapped as Catherine reached for the blade in her belly. She looked to where Raviine stood and shook her head. "Nia didn't know, did she?"

"No, we hoped no one would ever realize." Raviine bowed her head. "I… I am truly sorry. We did not mean her or anyone here any harm. We did not understand."

"Can you fix this?" Zay demanded as Jinso Vun's pistol leveled between her eyes.

"No." Raviine was smiling. "But _you_ can." Zay stared at her and then down at herself. She was glowing softly _red!_

"The crystal was drained." Zay mused but then she gasped. "By me!"

"No greater love hath a being than she will lay down her life for her fellows. Even sentient crystals understand such a thing and are usually fairly careful about angering someone who is willing to do so." Raviine said very softly. "Do what you must, Zay, daughter of Iden. You humble me." She bent to one knee! Not subservient. Respectful.

"This is not right." Zay said slowly and suddenly, the clearing was glowing red. Everything in it and several things in the underbrush! "Step forth and be recognized."

"You… must..." A misshapen dark thing stepped out into view, its form a mockery of the elegance that Ilosa had shown.

"I know." Zay started walking and no one could move as she strode right up to Jinso Vun and laid her head against the muzzle of the Bladeborn's pistol. "I challenged the darkness. It was more than I thought it was. The darkness within my soul, I knew, but this? Within the Bladeborns' souls? Within these poor souls? I challenged it to a contest of wits. I am waiting for its answer."

"For so long, I have walked alone!" Jinso Vun begged as her finger closed on the trigger. "You gave me hope! _Zay! Don't do this!_"

"I challenge!" Zay snapped and held the pistol to her head.

Suddenly, she wasn't standing alone!

A dark female form in a black robe stood in the middle of the clearing. Then more. Dark forms, some in armor, some in robes, all appeared. Some were human, some were Duros. Some were aliens that Zay had no names for.

"You are a moron, girl." The first one that appeared said in her voice as it threw back her hood and Zay stared at her own face as the other her drew a lightsaber that ignited in a wave of red energy. "You will simply be the first to die. No even close to the last though."

"Maybe, but you just lost the challenge. You instigated violence first. Oops." Zay said with a smile as she released Jinso Vun's pistol and the Duros dropped it as if scalded.

"What?" The dark version of Zay demanded as all of the dark forms drew weapons. Blaster, lightsabers, swords and other things. "You are going to die here, traitor's brat!"

"Maybe." Zay felt an overpowering calm descend on her as energy flared around her and more forms started appearing. These were clad in brown armor! Bladeborn! At least a dozen of them! And beside Zay…

"No, she is not." Jan said as she _stood in brown armor, _a pair of swords in her hands. "Is she?"

"No." Nia Korr appeared on the other side of Zay, her face a mask under her open helmet as two other forms in silver armor appeared beside them. Morey recoiled as if struck as the old man in robes and the old woman in armor both nodded to him. "Zay Versio, free the Sitolon. We have this."

"You cannot win!" The dark version of Zay sneered. "Even if you do? The fleet will destroy this planet."

"They are busy." Nia replied offhand. Everyone stared at her as she shrugged. "Dad's fairly well pissed off."

"Please tell me he doesn't have nukes this time!" Morey all but begged as everyone set themselves to fight.

"Hey, you know my dad." Nia nodded to the sky where nuclear fireballs started blossoming. "He has no 'limited war' setting. You know this."

"Yeah, I know." Morey all but spat the words out but then he sighed. "Makes me wish I was still insane."

"Morey, you will _always_ be insane." The old woman in silver armor said with a smile that was tinged with feral as she readied two swords.

"You are one to talk, Istara."

Then the dark version of Zay swung at the girl, her swing was blocked by two different swords and hell came to breakfast.


	22. Chapter 22

**Realities**

Zay Versio had seen combat. She had seen her mother cut down hordes of First Order troops and then perish at the hands of her archenemy Hask. _This_ was something else entirely. Zay had a bare moment to gawk at the carnage before the dark version of her snarled and threw oddly tinged electricity at her.

It never connected. Sev moved to shield Zay, but he needn't have bothered. Before the fake Zay could realize what was happening, the silver armored woman called 'Istara' was on her and then past, leaving the dark version of Zay to gasp as she clutched her throat with a pair of arms that suddenly lacked hands. Jan moved to stand beside Zay as the Bladeborn fanned out, clearly in a planned and rehearsed battle formation that took the enemy completely by surprise. The other her fell, a very surprised look on her face as she slumped to the dirt. They had all been focused on Zay. Why?

"You are the focal point, Zay." Jan said quietly as blood and worse things flew. Why was she standing between Catherine and Zay? Why were her blades ready in her hands? Zay stared at her and the at Catherine, but her attention was pulled to the carnage.

The battle was not one sided. Several brown armored forms had fallen, never to rise, but the skill of the Bladeborn was showing as they took their enemies two or three to one, taking one down and moving on. Jacen and Jaina were following after the line of warriors, checking some of the fallen, and in some cases, driving their weapons into a vulnerable spot on enemies who were not quite dead. These were clearly not Jedi.

"I think I can see that." Zay said softly as the last of the dark forms were pushed back to one side of the clearing in which she had woken and were steadily being slaughtered. "They came from me. And you." She said softly. Jan nodded, her face set but her eyes held approval.

"The crystal's power touched all of us when you touched me. Bladeborn have done horrors on par with anything the Sith did." Jan said sadly as she looked at Sev who ignored her. "When they lost their Grandmaster before me, they lost their way. Many of them fell to the Dark Side and all but a couple chose to die with honor. Those two were hunted down and killed, although it took quite a while. But for the others? They sought the sword or the thief, using fair means and foul." She slumped a bit. "When I woke up in their care, they never equivocated. They never lied to me. They told me all of what they had done and I was less than happy."

"You didn't tell Jinso Vun." Zay said softly as she looked at the Duros who hadn't moved a muscle since dropping her pistol.

"I hoped we could undo it." Jan said sadly. "The Empire did have her, but only for a short time. She was badly wounded and took a long time to heal. Kam, one of the ones who fell and refused to suicide, he took her from the Empire, but for his own use, nothing altruistic. Only me and Kyle knew, Jinso. I am sorry." She said quietly as the slaughter ended and the Bladeborn started checking their fallen and the enemy.

"That is why you, they, took me in, isn't it? When I fled the Rebel's medical facility? Shame?" Jinso Vun said slowly. Jan nodded. "I… I see."

"What he did to you was horrible in the extreme, Jinso." Jan said sadly as she sheathed her blades. "If I could bring him back to face your wrath, I would. That is what I wanted." She made a face. "But Kyle overreacted as usual."

"Hey!" Kyle sounded hurt from where he stood in the ranks of Bladeborn. "He drew on me!"

Jan looked at Kyle and then shook her head as she turned to Zay who stared around, aghast at the horror. This was nothing like any battlefield she had ever seen. Blasters did not usually leave bleeding wounds. he sheer level of gore was right out of a horror holo-vid. That none of the blood or other things had hit her was a miracle. No one else was clean of that. She stilled as a large black mass that had three Bladeborn pointing swords at it stirred.

"How many of you are left?" Zay was amazed that her voice was so clear, so level.

"Four... still… exist." Came from the mass that had ichor slipping from two deep wounds. "End! Please!"

"Rai needs help." Zay said softly. "And so do these." She raised a hand that was still glowing slightly red, but _everyone_ moved to stand between her and the broken dark alien.

"Zay, let it go." Catherine said firmly. "You have held it too long! Let it go!"

"But I can _feel_ his pain!" Who had just groaned in pain? Zay stared as everyone reoriented, some aiming weapons at her until Jan snapped a command in a language she didn't know and those who had aimed lowered them.

"Zay. That is not you." Shriv hadn't moved from Jinso Vun's side. "That is not my niece. Let her go. Now." That was not a command, but everyone made way as Shriv stepped towards Zay who did not move. "Let my niece go."

"She wants to help." The voice… It wasn't _hers! _Zay felt her sanity start to fray as her body moved without her command and red power was gathering across its palm that it held up to Shriv. "You hurt."

"I do." Shriv allowed. "But fixing me is not something she can do. Even with your assistance. She has helped me, just by being who she is. But, as in everything, there are limits. I will likely hurt for the rest of my life. It is not something that can be healed."

"Are you so sure?" Zay was struggling but then warm red suffused her and she relaxed. It didn't hurt, but it felt so strange. She was not in control, but she was not afraid either.

"Yes. I know my pain, what it is and what it is not. You will hurt her." Shriv said sadly. "Is that what you want?"

"She wants to help!" The voice from Zay said sternly. "Let her!"

"And if it kills her?" Catherine asked. "What then?" Zay felt her head turn to see the injured Masterblade who shook her head. "I can feel what you are doing and I doubt you do. You are killing her." Zay felt sadness from somewhere. "Please let her go. She has done nothing to you. She asked your assistance when she could have demanded it. She _asked_."

"She is hurting deep inside and I cannot touch that. I cannot help her." The other, whoever or _what_ever it was, said slowly. "Can anyone?"

"Some. Not much. Grief is a fact of life." Jan said softly as Kyle moved to her side. "Everything mortal will perish eventually. Even species that live thousands of years will eventually perish. If they know what love is, if they have loved ones, then those loved ones will miss them."

Zay felt her head move again, but she was slipping. Red darkness was pulling her in and despite everything it did to warm her, she was afraid. Her eyes looked at the being called Raviine who still knelt!

"You are not from here." The being in Zay said slowly. Raviine shook her head. "Can you explain?"

"Not without trespassing further." Raviine said softly. "We have done enough harm here. I wanted to help Zay. I did. Trust will likely never happen between these and my kind, but we do know and respect our peers." She looked Nia Korr in the eyes and then bowed her head. "I am sorry, Nia. He had no right to lie to you."

"Jan..." Nia's face was a rictus of rage. "I… I _can't_..."

"Nia, we have this." Jan said firmly. "Catherine." She held out a hand to the stricken Masterblade who shook her head. "Do not make me command you, Catherine. We need to fix what we can of this. You have fulfilled your quest. You need to go. Now."

"I can't leave Zay like this!" Catherine snapped.

"Catherine, you and yours do not belong here!" Jan said sternly. "You are straining things that must not be! Give him to me and go home, but know that wherever you go, you have kin here, Masterblade Sekmet. You will be remembered for as long as Bladeborn remember."

Catherine stared at Zay and then she took hold of the blade that impaled her, drew it from her body and then held it out hilt first to Jan who took it. The wound wasn't even seeping any more. Zay was hardly the only person to exclaim when Catherine, Karl, CA-E1 and the two First Order troopers all vanished!

Something shimmered in front of Zay and she was suddenly bereft as the red left her. She was weaving on her feet, but jazzed with energy as odd as that sounded. Was that a pat on her head? Where did it come from? Then the red was gone.

"Wasn't there a battle going on?" Zay asked into sudden silence as Shriv reached out to take her in careful hands.

"Not anymore." Raviine said softly. Everyone looked at her and she shrugged. "My husband was just as angry at what happened to Nia as I was. As I _am_. Koro had no right to lie to you, Nia. We Darkstorms have done horrors uncounted, done evil unimaginable to promote a greater good, but there _have_ to be limits. We do not enslave people and telling a lie to get you to join us was just as bad as slapping a slave collar on you." She shook her head. "I… All I can offer is my apology. Mine and my husband's, Nia Korr. We have blocked the Link and you will never be called by any of us. I… I am sorry."

"I..." Nia said with a sigh. "I have hated you for so long, but… Istara? What do I do?" She begged the older silver armored woman.

"Be true to the Code." Istara said with a nod and Nia stiffened. "Your dad doesn't hate them."

"I..." Nia slowly bowed her head all the way, then she started muttering under her breath. "I will not work with them."

"No one is asking you to, Nia." The old man in robes stepped up to Istara and laid an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his embrace. "Such would be insane even for one such as me. But a war with them serves nothing but chaos." He shrugged as Istara coughed and poked him in the side. "Hey!"

"Since when have you not liked a bit of chaos, Idjit?" Istara asked, a wide smirk on her face.

"This would be a bit more than a bit." Idjit said with dignity that broke off with a squawk as she tickled him. "Istara!"

"I told you what I would do if you showed up in robes." Istara's face held promise. A fairly sultry promise. "We do not see each other nearly often enough." Then she sobered. "Morey?"

"I am still needed, Istara." The hologram or whatever he was of the old man said quietly. The others were physical. Was he? "Now more than ever."

"Three thousand years of penance is a bit much, Morey." Istara complained. "We miss you."

"And I miss you." Morey shrugged. "But this needs to be done. The Bladeborn of this time need me. I am just glad Zay got Catherine to see reason."

"Glad I could help." Zay said quietly as everyone looked at her. "What now?"

"Now, we clean up the mess, tend our hurt and slain as well as the Trandoshan and Yuzzem. We try to help the wounded and see the dead to their final rest. Then we try to explain to the resort people why this area is trashed." Jan winced. "I bet it will be expensive."

"No." A somewhat familiar voice heralded the female Trandoshan from before stepping into the clearing. She had clearly fought. She was bleeding, but her flesh was knitting right before everyone's eyes. "The truth must be told here or nothing will change. It will get worse." She strode to where Zay stood, still and reached out with slow claws to take Zay's hands even as Shriv made a noise of protest. Raviine and Istara both stilled. "He said he showed you. You know."

"I wasn't going to say." Zay said quickly. "I like my health."

"That is good, young human." The Trandoshan smiled at her, an oddly friendly expression from a fang filled snout. "But this needs to be settled and _we_ cannot do it. You know who can."

"Yes." Zay said sadly. The Trandoshan pulled her into a gentle embrace. "And it will take all of us." Everyone stared at her and she shook her head. "It will be loud, so we should not do it here."

"_How_ loud?" Nia asked, her face set.

"You are going to be angrier." Zay said with a sigh as Jan stared at her. "But not with any of _us_."

"Okay..." Jan said slowly. "Sev, is Falcon still here?"

"What? She was supposed to- Oh. She says..." Sev paused and then sighed. "She says Catherine has transport for us."

"Figured she would not leave this undone." Jan shook her head. "And…?" She drawled the syllable out.

"And they are ready for us."

* * *

Ten fairly intense (but very quiet) minutes later

It was odd. Zay had seen the hangar bay of a Star Destroyer. Even as badly damaged as the one she had seen had been, it had hummed with activity. It had bustled with soldiers and crew working everywhere. This one was still as a tomb as the civilian transport landed. Everyone was subdued, even Shriv who hadn't left Zay's side. Jinso Vun was apparently their guard or minder now, she too hadn't left Zay's side. She seemed relaxed. Everyone else was tense.

The reason was abundantly clear as soon as the hatch opened. Catherine stood in the middle of the bay, her human guise discarded and her warframe showing in all of its glory. Karl stood beside her, his own warframe disgusting looking, but clearly just as ready from the long spear with blades at both end that he held. It was the _other_ golden warframes that stood along one wall, weapons aimed at a horde of First Order troops that drew the eye. Dozens of them! In their midst were two warframes that were not aiming at the humans and in between them! The woman in the golden gown nodded to the group, her face was set, but when she saw Zay, she smiled.

"Hello, Zay Versio. My name is Michelle." The woman said with a small nod. "We need a neutral party and you are it. This is as close as any of us can find to neutral ground in this reality, so we borrowed it for a bit."

"Um… reality?" Zay all but wilted, but a familiar orange form slid right out of the metal to hover beside her.

"Courage, Zay." Falcon's voice was warm. "She won't hurt you. We need you."

"Why?" Zay asked.

"You have seen both good and evil from the Bladeborn." Michelle said quietly. "You know far more than is safe for you to know. Few in this reality outside the Bladeborn will remember this. But you know the facts. The true facts." She clarified when Zay looked confused. "You can judge."

"I am not a judge!" Zay protested.

"You are neutral." Falcon reassured her. "No one else here is. Bladeborn, Tenno, First Order, everyone has their own agendas." Zay just looked at her and Falcon seemed to slump in mid-air. "You have a right to your anger, Zay, but far more than this reality are in peril. We ask… No." She corrected herself. "We _beg_ your aid."

"Stop scaring her!" A firm voice sounded. A familiar form stepped out of nowhere to stand beside Zay. Sharra from her dream? She smiled at Zay and then reached out to take the girl's hands. "You were not going to say, were you?"

"No." Zay said quietly. "It is not my business. The Bladeborn have been very kind to me! I do not want to upset them!"

"I know." Sharra said sadly. "But this will no matter what. I do not agree with what he did, but he did the best he could. I do still love him." She looked at Raviine who had been a silent statue through the journey to the ship. "Do you deny that?"

"No." Raviine said quietly. "He is a good being, the best I have ever met in fact and he did not remember, intentionally. He did the best he could. When he realized…" She grimaced. "He was madder than hell with Koro. The reason Koro is not here to beg Nia's forgiveness in person is he is still serving penance for what he did." She looked at Nia who had also been silent and grim. "Koro had no right."

"Whatever." Nia grated the word out as if in pain. "Can we just get this done?"

"She has never guessed." Raviine said to Sharra as if the two were the only ones there. "I see."

"Guessed _what_?" Nia snapped. "You lie! It is what you do!"

"No, Nia." Another familiar voice, but this time in person as the black armored form of Will stepped out from behind a rack of munitions to walk towards the group. "_Koro_ is the only one who ever lied to you and you still do not know the really bad part."

"_You_ are my dad, not-" Nia broke off with a gasp as the form of her dad shifted. From the black armored soldier to something very different. Suddenly, the _Lord of the Darkstorms_ stood in front of her! He bowed his head.

"He lied, but not about what you think." Sharra and Raviine both moved to flank the abject looking human who wasn't one. "He _did_ want to give you your dad back. All I can say is I am sorry. I never planned on having kids here. I couldn't stay after your dad perished, but I asked Koro to keep an eye on you. He did."

"You… My dad died..." Nia said weakly.

"Will Kalenath died, yes. Sara Kalenath Ordo killed him." The dragon in human seeming said quietly. "It had to be done. It wasn't her fault, Nia. If it was _anyone's_ fault, it was mine. As soon as I saw this reality, I knew I would be tempted to visit, to meddle. That is why I blocked my memory, why I took a human form, was born, lived and died a human, if a bit more than a normal one. I would have messed things up, Nia. You know this."

"I..." Nia stammered, but Sharra stepped to her side and took the shuddering Bladeborn in her arms.

"It is not his fault, Nia. Nor yours." Raviine said very quietly. "The blame for this lies solely with Koro. He had no right to Link you as he did. He had no right to take your free will from you. He will pay eternally for what he did. But you? We angered you and so many others. We did wrong, trying to do right by you. We hurt you, all unknowing." She turned to Istara. "And you… You Bladeborn… I have no words."

"We needed something to do." Istara said with a small, sad smile. "Any who follow Codes fight better with a cause. This was and is ours."

"You… _The Bladeborn_ ward this reality." Zay said softly. Everyone close to her nodded. "I… Why?" She asked. "If Nia was hurt so badly… Why?"

"No one can hurt you like family, Zay Versio." Istara said sadly as Idjit gave her a hug and Morey stepped close. "No one at all. Nia was justifiably upset, but _no one_ wanted extra-reality intrusions. We had already seen one and it was an Ashla forsaken _mess_." She shook her head. "I was Grandmaster at the time and we took up the burden when Koro did not come back. Morey took up his role to guide Grandmasters after me _despite_ our loud objections."

"And me?" Zay asked.

"You are a distant descendant of our son, James, Nia's brother." Sharra said quietly. "You are the only one who can fix this. Keep a multiple reality war from happening." Zay stared at her in horror. "Yeah, no pressure."

Zay had never fainted before that she knew of. She did then.


	23. Chapter 23

**Winds of change**

Zay Versio woke up to a heated, but quiet conversation going on nearby. She felt good. Much better than she had for some time. She was not sure what had happened so she remained silent for a moment to get her bearings.

"I am not saying you do not have a right to anger, Nia." The woman called Sharra was saying quietly. "Everyone agrees you do. All I am _saying_ is that your rage is not helping matters here."

"_Sharra_..." Nia Korr sounded strained. In pain? "_You_ of _**all**_ people..."

"She is awake." Catherine's voice came from nearby, silencing Nia. A hand touched Zay's "Please stop scaring me, Zay." The not human Bladeborn master said a bit whimsically as Zay opened her eyes and froze. "_Please?_" She begged a bit whimsically.

She was lying on a medical bed of a spacecraft. One she did not recognize. But the décor said it all. First Order! She jerked up, but Catherine was right beside her bed and not alone.

"You are all right, Zay." Shriv said from the other side of her bed. "They took the ship." The Duros looked more than a bit shocked by all of this, but when Zay looked closely at him, he smiled at her and she relaxed. "Now, I have only the barest of notions of _who_ **they** are..." He glared at Catherine, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. "...but _they_ are not to be trifled with any more than the Masterblade here is."

"Not a good idea, no." Catherine gave Zay's hand a squeeze. "At least Eliza sent representatives. My mind boggles at what _she_ would have done if she had come in person and not in a good way." Was this highly dangerous, incredibly competent killer, _afraid_? Whoever this Eliza person was, she was not someone to take lightly.

"Okay." Zay took a deep breath and looked around. Nia Korr stood by one wall, her face a mask. The hologram or whatever it was of Sharra stood beside her, face set as well. Zay stared at Sharra and then slumped a bit. "Sharra… You said… A war. Is it my fault then?"

"_Fault?"_ Sharra was not faking her shock. Not a chance. "None of this Force forsaken mess is your _fault_, Zay. The responsibility for keeping it from erupting all over? Some of that is on you. Not all of it." The woman in ancient Republic combat armor said firmly. "This conflict has been brewing for some time. What happened to Nia was evil. Everyone agrees that, even the one who _did_ it. He…" She made a face. "He wanted to do good and did evil. He wanted to help her and it made things far, far worse. Any sentient being can make mistakes far too often in such situations but what happened was _wrong_." She laid a hand on Nia's shoulder. "Nia didn't understand. None of us did. We are all angry, Zay. Every last one of us."

"And… Your husband… is her father..." Zay said a bit tentatively. Everyone nodded but Shriv who shrugged. "Who is not from here originally."

"That is pretty much it, Zay." Catherine sighed. "Nia-" She broke off as Zay squeezed her hand. "Zay?"

"I want to talk to Grandmaster Korr." Zay said softly. Nia made a face but everyone nodded and let her talk.

"Call me 'Nia', Zay. Please?" The dark haired woman asked weakly. "I held the rank but I was never good at being a Grandmaster."

"_We_ beg to differ." Catherine, Sharra and Jinso Vun who had been lurking by a door said sternly.

"I am your descendant?" Zay asked Nia who looked at everyone else, but no one spoke. Nia bit her lip but then nodded.

"Technically, you are a distant descendant of my brother, James." Nia said softly. "He never showed any powers, thank Ashla, and he had a good life. He had a family, married and they had several children. He passed on without assuming any of our burdens. His family did the same. Lived, loved and then passed on, some with children, some not. So, my immediate family have lots of descendants, but the line has been spread out quite a bit over the millennia."

"Aunt then." Zay said softly as she sat up. Neither Shriv nor Catherine aided her and she appreciated that. "I am not going to bother with 'great great' or whatever. You are my aunt. Just like Jan."

"Uh..." Nia made another face, but then she sighed. "I guess." She smiled, just a little. "Seeing you deal with Jan made me very wary about saying 'No' to you in such a case." She nodded to Zay. "Well done, by the way."

"Thank you." Zay shook her head. "I assume the First Order fleet was stopped from attacking the planet?"

"Yes, it was." Nia smiled a bit more openly. "My dad, or _whoever_ he is,… He is not one to mess around in such a case." Sharra and Catherine both nodded fervently. "They were utterly outclassed, over-matched and knew it as soon as he pulled some allies in from elsewhere." Zay stared at her and Nia flushed. "Don't ask." She warned. "We are going to have a lot of explaining to do even if people _didn't_ get good pictures of the gunstars. Which I have to bet _someone_ did." Zay stared at her and Nia sighed. "My job was always to keep this reality secure and I have made a mess of that."

"It is not your fault!" Everyone but Shriv and Zay chorused.

"Can I touch you?" Zay asked. Nia shook her head. "Damn."

"I am sort of solid here and now, but it wouldn't be safe for you." Nia said slowly. "You do not have powers, but I _do_ and I am not always in proper control of them." Zay stared at her in horror and Nia shrugged. "Part is my anger. Part is other things." She finished a little lamely.

"Nothing I have heard says you do not have the right to be angry!" Zay said with a growl as she sat up fully. "You were grieving for your father and he wasn't dead?"

"He died." Nia said softly. "But it wasn't my father, or not entirely. I didn't know that until he showed up in the hangar bay, but thinking? It makes as much sense as any of this does. Um..." She made yet a _different_ face when Zay looked confused. "Please take my word for it. It gets really confusing even when we do not add reality hopping to things. When we _do?_ It gets downright maddening."

"I will say." Another familiar voice sounded. Zay stilled as CA-E1 stepped into her view to move to the bedside. Catherine made way for her. "Do not feel bad if it confuses you, Zay Versio. It confuses _everyone_." The droid or whatever she was laid a hand on Zay's arm and then made a noise of satisfaction. "Your rhythms are stronger. How do you feel?"

"Physically, fairly good." Zay said after a moment's thought. "But as you say, I am _very_ confused." Everyone nodded. "Why me? Why ask me to judge or whatever? I am no judge. I am hardly neutral in this and I am not bound by your codes."

"That is why." Nia nodded, her face showing approval. "You have few strictures on you. You have seen both good and bad from the Bladeborn and others. I am furious. I don't think that will change even knowing that everyone else is just as furious." She shrugged. "I have always been angry, but now?" She slumped a bit.

"What do you want?" Zay asked. Everyone stared at her as she slid her feet off the bed. No one tried to stop her. "Not what you think your Code demands. Not what you think _others_ need. What do _you_ want, Aunt Nia?"

"I don't know." Nia admitted. "And that scares me."

"I know the feeling." Zay matched her tone. "I think we need to talk to the others. The one called Raviine and… the other." Nia bowed her head and Zay shook hers. "I am not qualified to judge such a thing, Aunt Nia."

"I know." Nia's voice was a bare whisper "Asking you to do this is wrong on so many levels. But I cannot talk to him, them. Not without losing my temper. I... I thought it was just Catherine's mess that made me so angry, but if he… if he really _was_ my dad… I..." Nia trailed off and then continued. "Then Koro didn't really lie to me and I have been angry for all this time for no reason. I… I lost my temper rather badly with them about that and again when Catherine's past landed in our laps." Zay looked at Catherine who shook her head.

"My misadventures are not germane right now." Catherine said calmly. "I have my own grievances with the wardens, but they are trying to keep things at least reasonably intact. I am upset, but Nia is my friend. She is hurting and I do not think she needs to suffer any more than she has."

"I cannot _trust_ them, Catherine!" Nia snapped, but Zay was on her feet.

"No one is asking you to." Zay said softly. "But I bet this situation is a once off?" She asked Catherine who nodded. "And..."

"I find I like you, Zay Versio. But now that I have found my boys, I won't be able to come back." Catherine was sad as she held Zay's hand. "CA-E1 is right. My duty is done, but I swore an oath to you as well, Zay Versio. I do not want to leave my battle kin in such dire straits, but I cannot help them. I am bound by the Bladeborn Code and another. You are not so bound."

"We need to talk to them. Everyone." Zay said firmly. She paused as Shriv coughed. "What?" She demanded.

"You might want to put some clothes on first." The Duros said with a grin as Zay stared down at herself and she was clad only in a patient gown. She looked at him and he shrugged. "Hey, you scared us all when you collapsed. We brought you in here because they had the best medical tech available."

Zay stared at him but her mouth twitched and then she looked at Catherine who also seemed to be fighting a grin.

"I guess I better be at least reasonably presentable." Zay said after a moment. "So, a _towel?_" She asked slyly and Shriv all but choked.

"You _would!_" The Duros said with a growl. "You _would_ walk out there clad only in a patient gown and a towel, wouldn't you, crazy girl?"

"We can do a bit better than that." Catherine promised as CA-E1 moved to a table nearby where Zay's gear was laid out. "Uh, one warning. Michelle, the woman who came? She is a Princess. She is fairly laid back, all things considered. Her guards are _not_." She warned.

"So… formal?" Zay asked as the droid moved her clothes on the bed.

"Probably wise." Catherine admitted. "Michelle is not the most protocol oriented royalty in any way, but this is going to be a mess." Zay looked at her and then nodded as she turned back to the bed. Catherine and Shriv let her go, but remained close. She appreciated that.

"Then, let's see what is going to be needed to clean it up."

* * *

A few minutes later

Zay had seen the inside of a Star Destroyer before, but it had been hectic. People had been shooting at her. Now? No one was _moving. _Zay wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious, but it hadn't been long. The tableau in the hangar bay was still the way it had been, except for a man in a First Order dress uniform who stood near the woman called 'Princess'. He looked furious, but whoever he was? He wasn't stupid. The three rifles aimed at him looked nothing like anything Zay had ever seen and the sword that menaced him was just looked _wrong_ in Karl's hands. Was it alive? It seemed to writhe as the girl looked at it and she pointedly looked away. The golden beings hadn't moved and neither had the prisoners.

"Are you well, Zay Versio?" Michelle asked, her tone kind.

"I am as well as can be expected, Princess." Zay replied with a nod. "I am very confused, shocked and angry. But I have been told that I can help here, so I must. My mother would wish no less." The First Order officer near Michelle opened his mouth, but the princess glared at him and he shut it. "We will not remember this, will we?" She asked Michelle who pursed her lips.

"That might be kinder." Michelle allowed after a moment. "I may not remember this. What little I know of such things says that too much knowledge can harm as surely as too little."

"That is why Catherine could not interfere." Zay mused. "She knew too much." Catherine nodded from where she stood beside Nia.

"Such is no blessing." Michelle said with a nod. "What say you?"

"I say we need to involve the other parties who have been involved." Zay replied and Michelle nodded slowly. "I am no judge. What I know has made me very angry but I know I do not have all the facts."

"Wise. What little I know of the transgression has also made me angry." Michelle agreed. "But I am held to a higher standard."

"You won't get away with this!" The First Order officer blustered. "Do you have any idea who you have attacked?"

"Of course they do." Zay replied before anyone else could. The man's mouth fell open as everyone stared at Zay. "A group of moronic fanatics who think they are better than everyone else because they have the prettiest toys." She paused and smirked as she looked around the room at the golden weapons and golden armored beings. "Or, you _did_ have the prettiest toys."

"Zay." Shriv did not quite groan that from right behind her and Zay smiled a bit grimly as the officer goggled at her.

"They killed my Mom, Shriv." Zay replied, not the least abashed as she glared at the officer. "Do not expect me to offer them the slightest courtesy."

"This is not about _them_." Shriv warned as he stepped to Zay's side.

"No." Zay agreed and nodded to Michelle. "I apologize, princess. I am angry."

"You have every right to be." Michelle reassured her. "Add to that? You are far calmer and more polite than _I_ was in such a situation. You and Nia both have rights to your anger." She allowed. "But this needs to be settled. We cannot have this spilling over into other realities. It is a miracle that it hasn't yet."

"A miracle? No. Lots of people working to keep it from happening." Zay replied as she turned to Nia. "You, among others."

"It had to be done." Nia said quietly. "The job sucks, but it had to be done."

"What?" The First Order officer blurted, but he froze as Karl shifted his grip on his sword.

"Where did you _think_ these came from?" Zay asked, more than a bit snide. "They are nothing that our galaxy has ever seen. Or… not recently." She said as she looked at Catherine who nodded approval.

"And Nia is the reason." Catherine smiled, but there was little humor in it. "She was damned when they Linked to her, but she refused to dance to their tune. She knew the thresholds had to be maintained, so she did it." Her face fell. "As always, come hell or high water, come clear sky or supernova, the Second of the Seven did what she had to."

"I am no hero." Nia said into the silence that fell. Then she stiffened as Raviine and Will Darkstorm appeared next to one wall of the hangar. Well away from the group, but within earshot.

"We disagree." Raviine said with a shrug. "Despite what Koro did to you, despite our ham-handed attempts to fix what cannot be, you have done well." She looked at her mate, but he looked at the floor. "Talk to her." That was _not _a suggestion.

"What do I say?" Will said into the silence that followed his mate's command. "'I am sorry' doesn't even come close to cutting it, even though I am. The Link was never supposed to be a _collar_." That was angry and his rage shook the very walls of the hangar bay. Everyone but Zay and Nia winced. "We needed communication. Not slaves. Our enemies did that kind of thing, not us."

"What is this 'Link'?" Zay wasn't asking the warden. She was asking Nia.

"It is a network of minds, connected to one another. A lot of minds, millions of them." Nia said quietly. "After long practice, I learned to drown them out. It wasn't easy." She allowed as Zay inhaled in horror.

"And… you..." Zay paused and then shook her head. "Did they explain to you what it was?" Nia nodded. "And… I assume you joined it."

"I did it gladly. I wanted to see my dad again." Nia's tone broke and more than one person stiffened as a tear fell down her face. "I just… I wasn't thinking."

"You had cause to be distracted. You had just died, girl." Raviine said quietly. Zay went totally still and Raviine nodded. "Before you ask, Zay Versio, yes. Every one of us. And yes." Her face, when she looked at Zay was desolate. "She wanted to come, but we have enough complications."

"Mom? I can't… No." Zay said sternly as Shriv took hold of her arm. "No! We do not need her." She swallowed hard as Catherine took hold of her other hand. "I… My own wishes are unimportant. What matters is the mission."

"Do not go there, Zay Versio." The voice from the Lord of the Darkstorms was calmer. "No matter how you came into being, your mother loved with all of her heart. As jagged and torn as her soul was, she knew what she was. She knew what you were. In the end, she made her choice and I made _damn_ sure she understood that it _was_ a _choice_. I wasn't going to let _anyone_ else go into this crap without knowing all of the ups and down. Far too many downs." He allowed. "Not after what happened to Nia."

"Mom found a worthy cause." Zay said softly and the dragon in human seeming eyed her. "Protecting others was what she always wanted to do. She just…" Zay trailed off helplessly.

"She was lied to. I know the feeling." The dragon stepped away from his mate. He bowed to Zay. "You know what to do?"

"The splinter showed me, but I do not want to." Zay said softly as she stepped away from Shriv and Catherine who both seemed frozen. Was there a tinge of red around them? Or was that just Zay's perspective? "You have done nothing to me."

"I made you mad." The dragon stepped froward again and smiled at Zay. "Hell, I made _everyone_ mad. I didn't intend to lie to anyone. I didn't know who I was until my form perished here and I returned to who I was before. When I did? I was dismayed. I wanted to try and make things better, but I was too close. I would have made even more of a mess and I was needed elsewhere." He sighed. "I did evil here that still resounds through the Force to this day. Things that even _I_ say were wrong. Horrible things and not all needed. Some I did just because they made me feel better. Do what you must, Zay Versio."

"Zay, what?" Shriv started and then gasped as Zay's hand flashed to her side. To her holstered pistol! He started forward, but Catherine had hold of him and he was going _nowhere_. "No!"

Her blaster was loud in the utter silence of the hangar bay.


	24. Chapter 24

**Splinters**

No one moved as Zay's blaster shot hit the man who wasn't one. That hadn't been just as blaster bolt. It had been redder than usual, and the impact didn't make any noise! That wasn't possible. The impact of the charged particle bursts that made up blaster bolts always made noise when they hit anything at all. No matter the object, the dispersion of energy always caused sonic vibrations. But not this time. So… what?

"_ZAY!_" Shriv protested and struggled in Catherine' grip, but the female form was far stronger than he was and _far_ more versed in hand to hand combat. He didn't try to strike her. He wasn't that stupid. The Bladeborn were silent shadows against one wall. Michelle and her guards also silent.

"It had to be done." Zay said very softly as she lowered her blaster. She bowed her head as she holstered the blaster, but then she looked at the being she had shot. He too was glowing faintly red. "I..."

"You did good girl." Raviine said from where she stood. "It will take a moment, but you did good." Zay stared at her and then at Nia who was wincing. Raviine nodded Zay's face fell. "It was the only way. She is free now."

"Grandmaster Korr?" Zay all but begged.

"That hurt." Nia said softly, incredulity faint in her tone. "But I cannot hear them now. The voices are gone." She stared at the man she had once called Father and he was standing stock still, not moving even a muscle as red energy played across his form. "I… What?"

"The Link cannot be broken in any normal way. It is both blessing and curse as you have discovered." The Lord of the Darkstorms said heavily. "But it _can_ be remade and by Zay Versio's actions, you now have the choice that Koro denied you." Pain sounded in his tone, but he squelched it. "I cannot repay the many years of pain we have caused you. I cannot undo the massive betrayal you suffered at our hands. I can fix this. You have the choice now, Nia Korr."

"I don't understand!" Nia snapped, fear warring with anger. "What did she do?"

"Using the last vestiges of power that she possessed of the Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Zay Versio broke the Link." She nodded to the male looking being at her side. "He formed the 'Link of Dark Storms' as a force multiplier, a communication system that cannot be accessed or hacked by any enemy. No matter how hard any have tried, they cannot access it. He made it that way many ages ago. He was and is the linchpin. The piece that holds it all together. Us all together." Raviine replied for her husband who grimaced, but then nodded at her words. "Zay Versio broke his connection. Our people were ready for it, so the disruption to _us_ will be minimal. We have had safeguards in place ever since its creation, but that did hurt." She admitted. "We are reforming but it will take a few minutes as you count time. You have time to choose, Nia Korr. Choose wisely."

"You..." Nia stammered, but paused as Zay stepped right up to her and laid her hand on Nia's arm. It was solid enough to touch. "What? No!"

"It is all right." Zay said quietly as Michelle nodded approval, but remained silent. "I do not have any power for you to mirror now. It is all gone. I was selected to judge and I have judged that you deserve the choice." Nia stared at her and then at her own hands. "It is all right, _Nia._" Zay smiled at her distant ancestor. "This wormed its way into your mind and it was always there. Always a reminder not to trust any. Not even your own. Now it is gone."

"I..." Nia all but stammered. "This… I can't..."

"Nia Korr Kalenath Ordo?" The Lord of the Darkstorms' voice was quiet, but it was would be heard. "My daughter can do anything she _damn_ well pleases now." He smiled. "Oya Manda."

"Mandalorian?" Zay asked Nia who pinked a little.

"A long time ago." Nia admitted. "My clan is gone, but… Our duty remains."

"_You_ do not have to do it!" Raviine, her husband, Catherine and Michelle all chorused. They all looked at one another and then Catherine released Shriv who stood as if hit by carbonite.

"No matter what you choose, _Nia_..." Zau enunciated the name carefully as she pulled Nia's un-resisting form into an embrace. "...you are still my aunt." She gave Nia a hug and released her, stepping back to Shriv whose face was grim.

"I know my duty." Nia said softly. "But if it is my choice..." She mused as everyone nodded. "And you are my dad?" She paused and made a face. "Were?"

"I remember being him." The dragon in human form said quietly. "I remember loving you. I remember failing you. He tried to be a good man, but he failed so many times." The Republic armored form of Sharra shook her head and vanished from where she had stood.

"He did his best. Always." Nia bowed her head. "But… the wards..." She protested.

"The wards do not have to be _your_ problem! If you choose to tell us to take a hike, we will." The being who had been her father said mildly. "We have no right to deny you anything now. We would keep an eye on the realities that surround this one, but we always have. We caused this. We caused you thousands of years of pain. If you want, you have earned the right to tell us that it is _our_ job now. If you want to retire or whatever? Say so. We will do our duty as we always have and will, but _you_ are not going to be forced to do a damn thing, Nia." A raging wookiee might have fled his calm words.

"Duty." Nia said softly. "For so long, keeping this reality secure from intrusions was my duty."

"A duty you did very well." Catherine agreed. "But the splinter of betrayal wormed its way into your heart and soul. You are hurting, Nia. You likely always will be." She shook her head. "A feeling I know well."

"I... Catherine..." Nia sighed deeply and then shook her head. "I do not think that simply abandoning my duty would be honorable. But I need time." She looked at the Darkstorms who both nodded.

"Take what time you need, Nia Korr." Raviine said as her husband moved to her side. "No one will take choice from you again."

"Anyone who _tries?_" The husband said not to be outdone. "I am going to _eat._" Not a threat. A _promise._

Everyone winced at that, but paused as he bowed to Nia and vanished. His mate nodded to her and then, she turned. She bowed to _Zay!_ Then she too vanished.

"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons." Catherine intoned in a voice that was both mocking and not. Everyone stared at her. "For thou are crunchy and go well with ketchup." No one dared protest or laugh.

"Catherine!" Michelle protested, but her frown was twitching as if she wanted to smile. Then the princess sighed. "We need to go. Now. If we do not go soon, you know what my mom will do."

"I do." Catherine winced. "But Zay needs help. The splinter hurt her badly even trying not to."

"I have this." Nia promised as she moved to Zay's side. "_We_ have this." She corrected as CA-E1 moved to stand beside Zay as well. "Are you staying?"

"My duty is here." The droid replied. "There are no ripples from me."

"This ship..." Zay felt faint. Was something happening? She saw Shriv slumping in Jinso Vun's arms. "I..."

"It is handled. Rest now, brave Zay." Catherine had Zay in gentle hands. "It is going to be okay."

Zay took those words into slumber with her.

* * *

The hangar bay

No one relaxed as Michelle bowed to Nia Korr and vanished. The golden warriors who had accompanied them also vanished. Catherine did not and neither did Karl.

"Catherine." Nia warned as the Tenno handed Zay to CA-E1 who took her, laid her down and started scanning.

"Just a few more minutes." Catherine asked mildly. "Falcon and Nyx are almost done."

"Falcon? Nyx? With _what?_" Nia demanded a hair before everyone else said the same.

"The usual." Catherine's tone was dry as Karl shook his head and moved to her side. "I found my boys, but they have duties here. Lives here. I would like to take them home but removing them would cause more ripples. Add to that? I have made enough of a mess here. I have no right to just upend them that way."

"This is going to be a mess no matter what." Nia said sadly. "I just… I need time."

"And you have it." Catherine was the only one not to jump as a holographic warframe appeared beside her. The Nyx Prime was shaking her head. "The needs of the many indeed, Catherine." She sounded sad as she strode to where the captain was still menaced by Karl's sword. "Do not move." She warned as she reached for the man. The man jerked as she sighed heavily.."It will hurt less if you do not move."

"What are you-? Ah!" The man cried out as the warframe laid a hand on his head. He went utterly still. Moments later, she retracted her hand and nodded to him. He bowed to her.

"Do not bow to me, Captain Torrs. I was never here." The warframe said and vanished!

"As you will, Nyx." Everyone stared as the First Order officer nodded to empty space and then turned to Nia. He bowed to _her! _When he spoke, it was reverent. "You are welcome aboard the Bladehome, Nia Korr Kalenath Ordo." Nia sputtered something, but he wasn't done. "We stand ready to serve the Bladeborn."

"Catherine!" Nia growled in a dangerous voice. "What have you _done?_"

"The First Order will continue to try the barriers between realities." Catherine said mildly as _every single First Order soldier in the bay_ braced to attention and every commander saluted Nia! "The same as the Empire did before them and various factions in the Republic did before _them_. The Jedi did what they could, but the secret was out as soon as the Sith Empire figured out that I wasn't from this reality. You will need help and they can."

"How is _that_ honorable?" Nia demanded as Karl holstered his weapon and moved to Catherine's side.

"We can answer that." Everyone stilled as both of Catherine's sons stepped into view from behind the serried ranks of troopers and crew. Both wore armor and had weapons holstered. "You needed the help and we needed a cause."

"Um..." Nia shook her head as the two moved to stand in front of her. One wore stormtrooper armor without a helmet, but it was brown, not white! The other wore a dress uniform. "That still does not make what she just did honorable."

"Our mother did not choose this. _We _did." The stormtrooper said quietly as CA-E1 moved to stand beside him. "She has been remarkably reticent but we did learn a great deal. More than is healthy for us. When Zay Versio picked up the splinter, the power touched us both and changed us. She was angry, with cause. She tried very hard not to harm us and succeeded but even the briefest touch of such power always leaves changes. Some good, some bad."

"But _still_..." Nia protested as Falcon appeared from nowhere to hover beside Catherine's group, her Sentient bioform all but quivering.

"Our duty was always defined by our masters." The officer said quietly. "Suddenly, we had both the time to think and information that we had lacked. We did not like what we found. We pressed our mother for more information and she rightly refused."

"So how…?" Nia stared from the speaker to Falcon. "Oh no..." Nia groaned as the Sentient hovered slightly away. "You _didn't! __Falcon!_"

"The being called Falcon wished to help us and she did. Princess Michelle was coming anyway as soon as her mother heard what happened to Zay Versio." The stromtrooper allowed. "But now? We have a choice too and we have made it. Without the brainwashing, without the evil, we have the choice and we have made it. We are soldiers. We serve." He saluted Nia who stared at him, dumbstruck. "We serve the Bladeborn."

"And Nyx?" Nia demanded. "Don't tell me she didn't do _something!_"

"She broke the brainwashing." The captain said as he strode to stand beside the other two. "She was rather annoyed with the utter lack of professionalism that was shown in the methods." He winced. "Not someone I want mad at me."

"Brainwashing?" Nia asked. 'Oh no. Jade." Not a question.

"She won't be a problem for much longer." Catherine said and suddenly everyone was staring at her as Falcon started to glow. "Nyx is rather upset by this and so is Nikis. These talked to Nyx for quite a while from what I gathered. She could and did pull them into a virtual world to talk." All three of the soldiers up front nodded. "And..."

"And order is meaningless if it serves no greater purpose, Ma'am." The stormtrooper agreed. "Even those of us who were trained from a very young age wished to serve. Just not the First Order." He allowed. "It doesn't seem very healthy now." Did he just make a _joke_?

"But..." Nia was all but sputtering now.

"But nothing." The trooper smiled at her. "My designation was HJ-9276. My mother has stated my name was Kano, but that does not feel right. I will think on names and such." Nia looked at the other who shrugged.

"My name was apparently Franklin." The officer replied. "Now? I am Lieutenant Jun Horis. Like my brother said, I serve the Bladeborn. You will need help."

"I…." Nia wilted a bit. "I..."

"You need rest, Bladeborn." The captain of the ship said firmly. "We serve and we will wait orders from Grandmaster Orrs. We will hold the line. This reality will not fall!"

"_IT WILL NOT FALL!_" Came from _every_ soldier and sailor in the bay.

"But… they will call you traitor, worse..." Nia protested.

"Oh no, they won't." Nia's eyes went huge as another armored form appeared nearby. She wore Imperial armor, but her head was uncovered. Iden Versio nodded to where Shriv stood protectively over Zay but then she smiled at Nia. "Or did you think I just vanished, boss lady?" Nia groaned to everyone's amusement. "I have orders for you and everyone, Nia. From Jan: You. Rest. Now." Not a suggestion.

"No one is ever really gone, are they?" Nia asked a bit plaintively as she started to fade.

"Not as long as there is even a splinter of memory regarding them, no." Iden Verso said as Nia vanished. Only then did she relax. She nodded to the captain. "Grandmaster Orrs asks you to see about replacing the troops garrisoned on this world." The captain stared at her, eyes wide and then he nodded.

"We cannot allow the First Order to have so many potential hostages." The man's eyes hardened as Iden nodded. "ROE?" Rules of Engagement.

"We want it as quiet as we can." Iden replied. "As you say? There are many potential hostages here. Your codes are all current, so you should be able to switch the garrisons with no one the wiser. The CSA are leery about many sudden changes. The Grandmaster wants to limit the ripples. Speaking of..." She turned to Catherine who nodded. "Get out of here."

"Yes, Ma'am." Butter might not have melted in Catherine's mouth as she, Karl and Falcon shimmered and disappeared. Iden stared at where they had been for a moment and then at Shriv who smiled at her.

"Still the hard way, huh, Iden?" The Duros asked as Jinso Vun moved to his side.

"Hard jobs are what we do best." Iden's face fell as she looked at Zay's still form. "I can't stay, Shriv."

"Figured." The Duros sighed. "Will I remember this?" He asked carefully.

"Do you want to?" Iden asked, her face softening as Jinso Vun laid a hand on Shriv's arm. "Zay won't remember much if any of this. She can't. There was too much power in that blasted crystal. It hurt her badly."

"If it won't mess things up." Shriv laid a hand on Jinso Vun's. "Yeah. I think I _would_ like to remember." He patted the other Duros' hand. "So… What now?"

"Now we clean up the mess." Iden made face as she pulled her helmet up in preparation to putting it on. She had a smile in her voice now. "Some things never change do they?"

"Nope." Shriv smiled as Iden vanished and the future opened up a bit rosier than it had been.

* * *

Some time later

Zay Verso jerked wake, instantly aware that something was very wrong.

The last thing she remembered, she had been walking into a cantina to try and find allies for the Resistance. How long had she been asleep?

"She is awake." The modulated voice of a droid sounded close at hand. Not one she knew! Her eyes shot open. What met her eyes was horror! She was lying in a medical ward on a First Order ship! But... She wasn't restrained and none of the beings who surrounded her bed were in uniform. Or, not _First Order_ uniform.

"Easy!" A light haired woman in brown armor like everyone else moved into Zay's view and a hand gripped hers. 'We haven't had time to change the décor. This isn't a First Order ship, Zay Versio." The face was familiar. Zay had seen a pictogram ina file that her mom had left in case of demise. Zay felt grief rise, but the woman, Jan Orrs smiled at her. "You are not alone, Zay Versio."

"Where am I?" Zay all but begged as Shriv moved into her view. The Duros looked grim, but relaxed on seeing her awake. "Shriv?"

"We did it Zay." Shriv said quietly. "We found them. The Bladeborn."

"Can you help?" Zay pleaded. "The Resistance needs help."

"There is too much baggage for us to help the Resistance, Zay Versio." Jan said heavily, but before Zay could slump, she continued. 'But… we can help you. We are limited in what we can do." She warned. "But what we can do, we will. For you mother and for you." She gave Zay's hand a squeeze.

All Zay could do was cry as Jan bent down to hug her.

* * *

Far away and yet very near

Catherine smiled as the scene faded. She, Falcon, Karl and Michelle had been watching from a safe place as Zay had been tended. All had wanted to make sure she was okay. The Catherine laid the small, red crystal she had in her hand on the floor and sighed.

"You can come out now." The Tenno said sourly and then nodded as the form morphed into a small human girl. Her form was glowing with red energy but her face was familiar. She looked very much like a smaller copy of Eliza, Michelle's mother. "That was _dumb, _Eliza." The Tenno complained.

"I couldn't very well take any other form there, now could I?" The woman asked, her tone calm and assured. "You know what would have happened if I had let any Force user touch that kind of power. Especially a dark one. Luke blurred the edges, Leia too. But Zay? Zay used it and used it well. No one will be looking for it now, since it, me, is gone."

"That she did." Catherine mused and then shook her head. "Will you go back?"

"Maybe." The copy of Michelle's mother said with a shrug. "Then again, everyone will be looking for splinters now."

"And whose fault is _that?_" Everyone asked as she pouted whimsically.

"Luke Skywalker's!" The energy being replied and then everyone laughed.

"I think I resent that." A blue form shimmered into view, but the old man who had once destroyed a Death Star and defied an Emperor to his face was not angry. Indeed, Luke Skywalker was smiling as Leia Organa Solo appeared standing beside him, her face as serene as his. "That said? You did good, Eliza. Zay will recover."

"Only time will tell, but I think so." Eliza agreed. "Tell your mom I will be in touch." She asked Michelle who nodded and vanished. "Catherine?"

"My quest is done." The Tenno agreed. "I didn't find what I hoped to, but I found what I needed to. Catherine is no more. I will go back to being Cathi Gata."

"And many people will breathe a hefty sigh of relief." Luke said sourly. "That said… Get Nyx and Nikis out of here before they make even more of a mess." Catherine glared at him and he sighed. "Please?"

"Don't tell me you don't want Jade punished." Catherine retorted.

"Not like they will!" Luke retorted right back. Leia shook her head, her own face set. "Sis..."

"They won't kill her." Leia smiled a bit grimly. "And I bet they will make it memorable."

"Oh, they did." Falcon's quiet words had everyone staring at her. The Sentient seemed to still in mid-air. "Um..."

"Do I want to know?" Catherine asked a hair before Luke did the same in the same long suffering tone. They shared a small smile but focused on Falcon.

"What goes around, comes around." Falcon replied, her form shifting a bit. "They didn't kill her, but she will beg for it for a long, long time."

"What did they do?" Catherine demanded.

"Someone destroyed her forces, took her prisoner, gift-wrapped her and left her for the Mandalorians to find." Falcon replied. Everyone gasped and she made a noise of mirth. "And _they_ sent her to Horn who is apparently deciding how to try her for her crimes and in what jurisdiction since she had broken _everyone's_ laws."

"He didn't just shoot her?" Luke asked. "I would have expected him to do that."

"Apparently, Mirax is still a good influence." Falcon replied. "And no, he is back on Correllia with his wife. He handed Jade over to Corsec who are holding her for trial and trying to treat her wounds."

"What wounds?" Catherine snapped. "If anyone gets to maim the woman, Jan does!"

"That is the odd thing." Falcon replied, her tone half amused half worried. "No one can define the type of wound, but it seems to have centered on her reproduction organs. They are gone. Almost as if they were..." She broke off as Catherine and Luke shared a look of horror and understanding.

"Eaten by things too small to see. Almost like nanites." The Bladeborn and the Jedi chorused heavily. "Do not anger the Sitolon."

"Bad idea." Falcon agreed. "Can we go home now Cath- Um, Cathi Gata?" She asked a bit shyly. "I still think you have flipped, offering me a place at your side. Your clan leader must have flipped too."

"Maybe, but she did ask the others and they all agreed. If there is any way to keep our own reality from being torn apart by a full scale war, I need to try, Falcon." The Tenno replied. "That said? My own splintered soul has been healed. Now maybe, we can help you."

"I do not deserve you Cathi Gata." Falcon said sadly. "I certainly do not want to cause trouble for you."

"Oh, trouble is what she does, Falcon." Leia smiled at the others, but it was melancholy. "Thank you, Tenno. You have eased my heart and now? Maybe all of ours. Nia is a good soul, she will make a good choice, whichever is best for her."

"It is out of my hands." Cathi Gata replied as her form morphed into her Wisp warframe. "I did what I could. Now it is time for me to go try to save our splintered world."

"May the Force be with you." Luke intoned as he and Leia vanished.

"Always." Cathi Gata had smile in her voice as she grasped Falcon's appendage and then Karl's hand. Then they were on their way home.

For a long moment, the red energy woman stared at where they had been, her face sad. Then she nodded. A dozen small fragments of crystal appeared around her and morphed into smaller versions of her.

"They are gone." The energy woman said quietly. "And we have a lot of work to do to clean this mess up. So hop to it. Tell Jan we are on it and let's see what kind of cover story is needed. And _this_ time, no silliness about science fiction!"

"Yes, mother."


End file.
